Red thread of Fate
by Usa-chan12
Summary: Mai's older sister had never felt herself able to continue her life in the Fire Nation and so she left. Many people had thought she had died, others thought she chose the life of a refugee. But did she really give her life into helping the Avatar? Not only that, but will sisters rival over the affection of the Prince of the Fire Nation? Zuko x ?
1. Chapter 1: Sisters

**Disclaimer:** I do not own A:TLA or any of its characters.

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"_Chiyo!" A voice called out in the middle of the rain, her body becoming drenched by the rain that had poured from the dark clouds. Lightning would lit up the whole Fire Nation capital with just a split second before disappearing as the crackles of thunder would erupt in the air, nearly stopping the girl in her tracks as she had seen her sister stand there "Chiyo!" The young girl called again, falling down to her knees because she lost footing on the concrete ground. "Chiyo!" Her cries did not cease as her tears blended with the rain and sobs soon leaving her throat. The older girl that she had called out too remained still despite the crying of her younger sister. It was as if she was frozen, unable to move, but once she felt a tug on her pants leg, she couldn't keep still. Slowly, the older female looked down at her sister with soft eyes. _

_Kneeling down beside her, Chiyo had slowly wrapped her arms around her younger sister. "You must promise me that you will always be strong, Mai." Her voice was hoarse, obviously from crying. "Don't ever show your weakness to anyone. Don't fear anyone, love more than you fear. I have made a mistake, I have let myself do things that I know that I can never change. Don't be like me, Mai. Don't follow my footsteps." Her hand slowly rubbed up and down her sisters back as the young girl shook from tears. "I'm going to be leaving for a long, long time. I want you to be strong for mom and dad, they're going to need you." Pulling her younger sister away, she looked deep in the gold eyes of her sister as her hair clung to the side of her face and shoulders. "Will you promise me, Mai?"_

_Mai was hesitant, her young mind unable to comprehend the events that were happening. All she knew was that her sister was leaving her in which she had hoped that she wouldn't. Why would Chiyo leave her? Why she should leave home anyway? Whenever she left, she had always promised to comeback but this time she did not say a word of coming back. Why was that? "Why aren't you coming back?" asked Mai, her voice growing hard out of sadness and frustration. "Why are you doing this?!" Chiyo had slowly looked down, her amber eyes showing a display of emotions that she did not want Mai to read. "Come back home. Let's go home."_

"_I can't." said Chiyo, her voice soft as she pressed her lips against her sister's forehead. "Hurry home, you're going to be sick. I'm sure mom and dad are worried about you anyway." And with that said, Mai felt the warm embrace of her elder sister slowly disappear as the cold rain enveloped all around her. She watched as her sister turned and walked away and for some reason, she didn't have the power to get up and look for her. All Mai could do was crying as the rain sang, the thunder screamed, and the lightning dance in the dark, cloudy sky._

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_**6 years ago…**_

"I am so proud of you." said a tall, dark-haired man as he placed his hand upon the shoulder of his eldest daughter. Chiyo was ten-years-old, the daughter of nobleman Gen and his wife Qiu. They had two daughters, Chiyo and Mai. Mai was eight at the time as her sister reigned to be their young prodigy, aimed to be an assassin as she worked hard from the day they learned that she was skilled in the art of stealth and archery. She was a product that made Azulon pleased. An efficient way of taking down enemies without them even knowing, he had praised her and he had adored her. He even treated her as if she were his very own daughter. That approval was enough to set Gen on a path of wealth, recognition, and rank.

Qiu, although against her daughter being used as such, had never fought against her husband's wishes. He saw potential and a future in their daughter. She never questioned, she just supported it. As long as their family's reputation remained pure and admirable, she was pleased. Chiyo, on the other hand, was never pleased by this. Although born to realize that being in the Fire Nation was a blessing, that she was given a chance to be apart of the greatest Nation of the world, she had never felt right. This life never felt right for her. Killing never felt right. She used to have nightmares of all the people she killed, never able to get any sleep because blood on top of blood would be spilt in her hands. Why couldn't she had lived in a much simpler life in a much simpler time? It felt like constant torture to remain in a world like this.

"I am glad that I have made you proud." His daughter said, her eyes looking up at his form as he kept his hand on her shoulder. She could see he was glowing; a confident smile on his face while a blank expression remained on hers.

Qiu had knelt down and hugged her daughter, "We couldn't be more proud of you, my little Chiyo. Do you know how glad Fire Lord Azulon will be once you tell him you had annihilated General Kuon, the traitor? I'm sure he will be thrilled that you had done it so quickly!" Chiyo could feel her mouth going dry, her stomach turning, and nausea tickling her throat. How could they be so proud that their ten-year-old daughter had killed the fifth person in her young life? How sick were they. All Chiyo could do was accept her mother's embrace and return one of her own, her arms around her mother's small form as she felt herself wanting to vomit.

The only thing that didn't sicken her was her younger sister, Mai. Mai had stood there, her eyes big and curious, and standing there as if she was waiting for her sister to acknowledge her. She was only eight-year-olds and she had lived in a world that was pure. No blood, no war, and no death. All she knew was that her sister had skilled that acquired her to do certain things, things that only she was assigned to carry out, and that she had done them in a proficient manner. Mai never asked what her sister had did, but she had spoken words of admiration of her sister's capabilities.

Once Qiu had let go of her daughter, Chiyo had smiled and walked over to her younger sibling. "Mai, you look so adorable in your new dress." She had said to her, her hands on the girl's soft cheeks. She could tell that the eight-year-old was excited to be acknowledge, her eyes shining and shy smile on her face. "How is school?" She asked as her sister looked away and then back at her.

"The usual." Mai answered her sister, "How did the mission go today? Are you hurt?" Her eyes scanned for any injuries on her sister's form in which Chiyo could only frown. Had they told her sister what kind of profession she had? How could they taint her innocence like this? "Mom said that sometimes you get hurt doing what you do. I want to help… So, I…" She didn't finish her sentence, but she had heard the sigh of relief that escaped her older sister. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." The older sibling said, almost wanting to cry from joy. She wanted Mai's naivety of her profession to continue, she didn't want her to know the horrible things her sister had done. She wanted to keep that peace within her forever but she knew that she wasn't going to stay forever. How could that really last? And if Chiyo never told her then someone surely would. "How about tomorrow, we have some fun?" She asked as Mai had lit up, her expression one of excitement but then it soon faltered. "What's wrong?"

"Ty Lee and I promised Azula that we would hangout with her in the palace." She said as she had seen her sister nod her hand in understanding. "Why don't you come over? I'm sure you would like to see Prince Iroh and Lu Ten." She offered, wanting her sister to be there with her. Chiyo did like Iroh, he was a kind man, and Lu Ten was also kind. With a sigh of defeat, she gave her sister another hug. Mai had taken that as a stamp of approval and returned her sister's embrace with a much tighter one with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.

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**Author's Note:**  
Yes this story is short, but its not complete. I wanted to test this out and see if it was continuable. I really have a lot of hope for it too!


	2. Chapter 2: Guilt and Relief

**Disclaimer:** I do not own A:TLA or any of its characters.

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The sun had slowly risen over the horizon, Chiyo standing at her window with an indescribable look on her face. The brilliant colors of yellow, red, and orange had brightened the sky as the giant star was peaking over the ocean. All she could do was wonder why something so beautiful had lasted but only short an hour or so? It had been her daily ritual to watch the sunrise and sunset, hoping that something good would just come out of watching them but she could still remember the warm, crimson liquid oozing out of her victim. When will the images ever stop? When will the guilt ever fade? When will she ever feel like what she was doing was right? Everyone had thought so; everyone had thought she had done amazing things. Was killing supposed to feel fulfilling? Why didn't it feel that way to her? Her mental questions could never be answered. She had never spoken of her inner turmoil to anyone. Maybe it was best she kept it to herself because who else would understand? All she could do was do what was told of her, she had to make them proud.

As the hours passed and the sky had become bright as the sun had reached the blue sky, she had waited for her younger sister to get ready for her play date. It was odd, her being ten, but feeling like she was much older. Could any ten-year-old say that they were an assassin? Most likely, they could not. It felt like she had to grow up faster than she should, her emotions merely invisible or unstable. There were so many things that she had seen and done that something as innocent and pure as playing games had lost their color, their life, and their purpose. Her father made it clear that she wasn't equipped to be a child; she was something greater than that. But to Chiyo, nothing could be better than to be a free child. She had envied her younger's sister ability to find joy in just mere conversations with her friends and to play games. How come Chiyo couldn't have that same luxury? Why did she have to be what these people considered special?

"Chiyo, are you ready?" Mai had stood at the doorway as her sister had continued to stare out her window. Mai had watched as she had seen that blank look on her sister's face, no expression whatsoever on features, but her eyes had always seemed to be showing something more than a smile or frown ever could. They had always seemed sad and whenever Mai had looked into them, she could feel herself growing sad each and every time. She couldn't question her sister about it because she knew that Chiyo would never say what she felt. What did she look like telling someone like her, her feelings anyway? It wasn't like she could understand what went through Chiyo's mind. Her older sister was more mature than anybody she knew, even her friend Azula, but of course she would never say that out loud.

Slowly, the elder sibling had turned and made her way towards the door. "I'm ready." She finally answered after some time; Mai slowly grabbed her hand as she led their way toward the carriage that would take them a short ride away towards the Palace. Many people would stop and stare at the sisters, their resemblance very thin but noticeable. Chiyo had dark brown hair in which she had down at the moment instead of its usual ponytail, she would wear bangs but there would be quite a little space in the middle of them. Her eyes were a bright amber, like fire, and her eye shape was a cross between almond and cat-eyed. They were more almond like Mai's, but since they were bigger they had more of the cat-eyes appearance. Her lips were small yet full, but she usually painted them red where as their true pink color could be seen today.

Chiyo's attire consisted of a deep, crimson Indian choli top that revealed her midriff, ankle-length baggy pants of the same color, and a scarlet split skirt that covered atop of her pants. Around her stomach was a maroon ribbon that Mai had brought her to accessorize according to Ty Lee's fashion sense. Usually, a bow and a quiver full of arrows were with her but since she was going to the Palace, there was no need for her to carry any sort of weapons. As they reached the carriage, Mai was escorted in first and her sister following after. Their parents weren't going to accompany them today, which was strange because their father had always liked to brag to Fire Lord Ozai all the good things that he had done. Maybe he was busy today, but either way, Mai was glad to have her sister home and beside her. She had hoped that Ty Lee and Azula had shared the same enthusiasm.

* * *

Once the carriage had pulled up at the Palace gold gates, the carriage had come to a halt and the doors were opened so that the two girls could come out safely. Mai continued to hold her sister's hand and Chiyo having no intention of letting go, had a firm grasp on it. As the guards had made sure their pathway was safe and secure, Chiyo had looked around and saw Azula and Ty Lee waiting for Mai with bored looks on their face. As soon as her sister had saw them, she had pulled her sister towards them and Ty Lee had finally taken notice of them. "There is Mai! And there's Chiyo!"

Azula had turned to their direction as the two sisters had made their way over to them. "Well, whaddya know." Said Azula, her tone quite questionable but not harsh nonetheless. As the sisters were now in front of them, Mai had smiled at them. "How was your mission this time, Chiyo? Was it more adventurous than the last? My dad and my grandpa said that you did a great job."

The elder child had looked at the soon-to-be Fire Nation princess, her eyes nearly squinting out of anger and curiosity. Why did this girl seem so evil? Like she had liked the idea that Chiyo had killed someone for their grandfather? She knew that Azula wasn't just your normal child, or royalty for that manner, but she didn't know her abnormality that taken this far. "It was just as it was before. No different." The victim this time was a well-known counselor for Azulon many years ago, he had collaborated in a plot to overthrow him and so he had to be taken out. He was just one of the few she had to torture for information, but she had to kill him as instructed by the Fire Lord. "Is your Uncle here?" She asked as Azula shrugged her shoulders, "I'll leave you all to play. See you later, Mai." Chiyo said to her sister with a small smile before walking onto the walkway and into the castle.

As she reached the inside of the castle, she had walked down the hallways with her eyes scanning the area. She hadn't see Iroh, the only glimpse of kindness in the palace. She soon her other footsteps coming from around the corner and so she stopped as she seen young Prince Zuko turning towards the hallway she was walking in. Chiyo was but a couple months older than him. They never really said much since she felt like her rank had made her intimidating. Politely, she bowed and he had gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Hey." Zuko said to her, which surprised her no less, and she appeared flabbergasted.

"Oh. Uhm, hey." Chiyo replied as he stood there. She was a few inches taller than him and so he had to slightly look up at her and her somewhat looking down at him. "How are you, Zuko?" She managed to ask, feeling somewhat awkward.

The boy didn't say anything for a few minutes, his eyes finding themselves away from her form and down at the red cart underneath them. "How was your mission?" He asked as she felt her eyes lower. That's right, she killed his friend's father. Zuko, unlike his sister, had one friend. His friend was Shen, a very nice and scholarly young boy. He and Zuko had a very strong friendship, he was intimidated by Zuko's title like most kids were and they had been friends for as long as Chiyo could remember. How could she forget how the boy must be feeling now that his father was dead. She killed his father…

"Do you want me to answer that?" She asked, her voice soft as she felt guilty because she could see the hurt on Zuko's face. It had to be more than the fact that she had killed General Kuon.

The Prince frowned, deeply. "Shen stopped being my friend because he suspects that my grandfather had him killed. I know you did it."

"I had a mission from your grandfather to fulfill." She quickly defended herself, knowing that it wasn't all her fault. Maybe she could have assigned someone off to it, but she had been specifically asked to do this. There was no way that she could turn it down. If she had it her way, she would never had done this job.

"I know." His words had surprised her, her eyes widening at the admission. Chiyo watched as Zuko walked toward her, "But why did you have to be so brutal? Why couldn't of you have done it so he didn't feel pain?" Chiyo lowered her head, her memories of the night all coming back to her. The screams of pain, the squirming of the man who had been fighting for his life was now so vivid to her. She had done that. But could she tell him that it was a part of the mission? It seemed like she would be telling too much information.

In a way, she wanted to cry. Now realizing that Shen would never see his father again and that's what she had done. She had killed someone's parent and someone's husband. The thought had never registered in her mind that she had ripped that away from someone. Upon the realization, her eyes had widened as her eyes brimmed with tears. The ever so stoic Chiyo couldn't no longer hide her pain anymore. The tears fell slowly and one by one before they began to rain down and her slapping her hands on her face to hide them or more along the lines drown in them. She could imagine Shen finding his father mutilated, not looking like he had normal seen him. He had destroyed the picture of the boy's father, she was utterly horrible. How could anyone like her deserve to continue on like this? Was Agni torturing her young soul?

Zuko had watched as the girl's whimpers had become audible to him. In a way, he had felt guilty for telling her that. He did not know what kind of world she was in, what her grandfather and parents had acquired of her. He just knew that she was well-respected by his grandfather and his father. Iroh had spoken highly of her and his mother; his mother had expressed her concern. It was funny because here came Lady Ursa, her eyes fixated on the broken little girl who cried in the middle of the Palace hallway. "Zuko, what happened?" She asked, her hand slowly touching the young girl's shoulder. Chiyo hadn't felt more embarrassed, not only was she crying in front of Zuko but she was crying in front Lady Ursa as well.

What could Chiyo say? Zuko didn't need to answer that question. She was the one after all crying and it wasn't like he was the one to make her cry. "I didn't do anything." He defended himself as his mother's frown had only deepened.

"Chiyo." Ursa's warm voice had called her name and Chiyo felt no other obligation other than to give her, her full attention. Looking up at the tall, brown-haired woman, she had found herself unable to speak. How could she receive such a gaze from Ursa? She gave one of concern when she had been less deserving of it. The young girl took a step back, her eyes brimming with new tears, and her feet telling her to run. Run away from here. And yet, she had taken two steps back before Zuko had grabbed her arm in order to keep her from backing into him. "Chiyo, is everything okay?" The woman trailed off as she tried to figure out how to approach the girl without scaring her, "I have some tea that will be sent to the greenhouse. You should join me." And soon her slender hand had reached out to Chiyo, a smile still gracing her soft face.

Zuko had looked at the young assassin next to him as she remained silent. "Tea?" She repeated, her voice shaky and admitting sadness. "Why would you want to have tea with me, Lady Ursa?" Chiyo asked as the woman merely chuckled. Zuko had watched his mother take Chiyo's hand.

"Zuko, I'm taking Chiyo for a cup of tea. Would you like to join us?" In a way, she didn't want Zuko to follow because she thought that it would be best if she had talked to Chiyo alone. Zuko could see it, that his mother wanted to spend time alone with the older girl.

"I'm going to go see Uncle Iroh." Said Zuko in which surprised Ursa. "See ya!" He then turned around and ran in the direction of what was the library.

And once he was gone, Ursa had led Chiyo to the greenhouse.

* * *

Chiyo had looked around in the greenhouse full of flowers from around the world. Her eyes were amazed by the sight of such beautiful plant life and in the middle of the large greenhouse were a large sitting area with four chairs, a couch, and a short table that had already had a tray of two tea cups, two tea plates, and a teapot. Ursa had sat on the couch and Chiyo had sat on a chair next to her, sitting on the edge of it so she was closer to the table. The woman just continued to smile at her in which helped Chiyo feel a bit better. "How have you been since your return?" She asked as the young girl picked up a cup and placed a template under it.

"It was fine." answered Chiyo as she took a sip of her hot tea, making sure that she didn't burn her mouth in the process.

"Seeing your little sister had brighten things up for you, hadn't it?" Ursa said as she watched a smile grace the face of the young brunette. Her eyes literally lit up at the mention of her younger sibling.

At first, she had nodded before finding herself able to say something. "Seeing her always brightens things up for me. Even the darkest days becoming less than nothing when she looks at me with such…" Her words stopped as she realized that her younger sister had looked up to her. She was admiring… a killer.

The woman leaned forward towards the young girl so that she could place her hand on the girl's shoulder. "You can continue Chiyo. You can trust me."

Trust her? Chiyo never trusted anyone except her sister. It seemed like that the woman cared, she was a gentle soul. "She looks at me with such admiration. I don't want her to admire something like me. I do such… such horrible things." The child closed her eyes as she placed the teaplate back on the table, her bottom lip quivering as she tried to stop herself from crying.

Ursa then patted the couch next to her which made Chiyo open her eyes to see the action. The young assassin had stood up and walked over, sitting down next to her. An arm was draped around her in a hug. "I always figured that this life for you was hurting you. You are such a nice, young girl Chiyo. You are too young for this job that you were given. You are still a child and you should be playing with toys and not murdering for royalty. I always knew you were special, you know." She watched as the ten-year-old's eyes were now looking up at her own and that innocence that gleamed within them had made Ura smile.

"You did?" Chiyo asked, somewhat surprised.

The brown-haired woman nodded her head, "Why of course. When we found you, fighting to protect your little sister from that man who broken into your home. You were strong, you took that man head on. That strength that you have is something that many people don't have. You could've died, but you were determined to protect your sister so much that you had done something that most children who do not bend can't. I see many great things coming from you."

Ursa's word had stirred happiness in her heart and she had felt herself crying from that happiness that aroused in her chest. This woman had thought she was special and not because she could kill, but what she was willing to risk for her family, her sister. That's what started it all in the first place. Chiyo had killed that man who thought he could scare her father by killing his youngest daughter, but little did they know that Mai had begged and pleaded for Chiyo to sleep in the bed with her because she felt safer. If she hadn't, Mai wouldn't be alive today. Chiyo didn't want to kill the man, but she wanted to protect what mattered most to her and that's what she did. The man wasn't able to neither scream nor cry, nobody knew he was there until Mai screamed from the blood that stained the white carpet floor and the shell of the man.

"Don't you think that I'm evil? That what I am doing is wrong? Shouldn't I be punished?" Chiyo questioned.

She watched as Ursa shook her head. "Why should you be punished, Chiyo? You didn't ask for this life. I know that making your parents as well as your nation proud is what you want to do. It is never your fault." It was a relief to know that someone had believed in her, that he didn't think that this was all her fault. And a bond had formed between the two as young Chiyo cried herself to sleep in the arms of the kind, understanding woman.

Soon Ursa had left to attend to some business, Chiyo had stayed in the greenhouse and pondered over her conversation with Ursa. So, if none of this was for her to blame then why did she still feel guilty? Why did her heart feel so tight whenever she thought about the things that she did? Was it because she felt there was a way to get out of this? How? Could she really… Run away? Would running away change everything? It was something she could actually get away with, but was it worth leaving her little sister behind? That would mean that she would never see Mai ever again. Could she live with that guilt of hurting her sister like that? No, it didn't feel like Chiyo could.

The door had slowly opened and footsteps had inched toward her. For some reason, the young girl had kept her eyes at the empty cup of tea because she wasn't sure if she wanted to know who had came into the greenhouse. The footsteps then stopped and she had looked up to see that it was Zuko standing there, observing her before noticing that she was indeed staring at him. "Are you going to sit there all day?" He asked, breaking the silence between them. Chiyo, for the life of her, couldn't understand what he meant by that at all.

"What?" She finally said, confused as to what he had meant by that.

"Let's go." He said to her as she scratched her cheek in confusion but jumped off the couch and walked over toward him, following him back into the palace. There was silence in the air and Chiyo could feel herself growing uncomfortable. She had no idea where she was going or what Zuko wanted from her, but the idea was kind of nerve wrecking. Her and Zuko rarely talked, what happened between them earlier as he confronted her about her last mission had made things awkward, and so she didn't know how to feel or act.

"Where are we going?" Chiyo managed to ask him as he finally looked at her, stopping in the middle of the hall. She followed suit, her gaze not leaving his.

The boy then placed his hand on his head, almost unsure of something, but he spoke like she had hoped. "I was bored so… So I thought we could go do something."

"Go do what?" Her voice had revealed her curiosity, her eyes slightly widening.

"Well, my dad brought me some Fire Nation army toys. So, I thought we could play them together since Shen stopped, well, you know." He didn't want to re-explain how her mission had destroyed his friendship. Chiyo, in a way, felt guilty yet again but she felt kind of happy. This would be her first time able to play something, something that wasn't so childish either. Something in her league. For the first in a while, she had gave a rather bright smile. The future prince blushed at the rare expression on the girl's face. He could see that she was overjoyed and he really didn't understand why. They were just gonna play with some toys, why did that make her want to smile? He shook his head and then started to walk a little ahead of her. "Let's go!"

With a nod of her head, she followed after him as they had gone to his room to play. And since then, Zuko and Chiyo had built a rather inseparable bond.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
I hope this chapter was satisfying.


	3. Chapter 3: Fireworks and Banishment

**Disclaimer:** I do not own A:TLA or any of its characters.

* * *

_**Five years later…**_

"Ah, young Chiyo. You grow lovelier every time I see you." said Iroh as a smile had graced his face. He and Zuko were playing a game of Pai sho, smoke from the tea that was steaming right next to them. Zuko had looked up at her, a small smile on his face before he moved one of the pieces three paces forward.

There seemed to be a smile in her eyes as she stood next to the table. "And you get more charming every time I see you, Uncle." Chiyo said in a rather chipper tone.

"You seem to be in a lively mood." Zuko took note as the female grinned from ear to ear. "What is it?" There had to be something more than it being a lovely day.

"Well…" Chiyo said as she reached into her front pockets and pulled out a flyer, "I wanted to know if you would go with me to the fall festival! They scheduled it today, where you have no training or other princely duties, and there's going to be a full moon!" The fourteen-year-old said in a rather enthusiastic manner.

Of course, she was expecting Zuko to turn it down since it was such a public event. The Prince merely looked at her and then at Iroh who gave him a smile and nod. "Fine, I'll go but I don't want to go as Prince Zuko." He explained as he watched his Uncle move a tile while Chiyo clapped her hands and jumped up and down.

During the past five years, Chiyo's personality had taken a rather different swing. Since she and Zuko were friends, she was able to express herself better and able to have more fun. Actually, since his father became Fire Lord, she hadn't had a mission since the one Azulon had given her years ago. She felt quite happy that she was able to live a life that she could now deem as normal, a normal life. "I'm really happy! We can play games and see the fireworks!" She gave Iroh a huge hug out of her excitement.

"Its really nice to see you so happy, Chiyo. A smile is worth a thousand of ounces of gold." There he went with one of his proverbs, but she found this quite happier since he usually spoke them in times where they knew they were wrong or when they were in sticky situations. However, this situation was more of an inner celebration for her.

And with that said, she found herself letting go of the older man. "I have to go back home since I have to figure out what I'm going to wear! So many decisions!" She found herself wondering if she would ever find the right clothes. This would be her first time going to a Fire Nation festival without her family. "See you later!" And with that said, the bouncy teenage girl had sped off leaving Iroh and Zuko alone once more.

"So, Prince Zuko, may I ask that you had said yes because you wanted to?" His Uncle asked him as he took another sip of his warm, delicious tea. His nephew merely looked up at him, slightly disgruntled.

"What are you trying to hint at?" asked Zuko, already knowing full well what that man was trying to say. Of course, Zuko decided to play coy.

The older man merely shrugged his shoulders, "I'm just asking. You know I am a nosy old man."

The teenage boy had sighed before moving a tile in a diagonal direction, causing his Uncle to smirk slightly before taking out his nephew's tile upon his moves. Zuko grew rather frustrated, but blamed himself for making such a stupid move. "Chiyo and I are friends. We've been friends since we were kids, why ruin it by becoming something more than that?"

"It's not good to lie to yourself than it is to anyone else, Zuko. If you have feelings for young Chiy-"

Before Iroh could explain, Zuko slammed his hand on the table. "I don't have feelings for Chiyo."

"And who are you trying to fool? Me or yourself?" Iroh asked with a raised eyebrow as he heard grumbling noises escape the boy in front of him before sighing, of what Iroh thought as out of defeat. "I won't pressure you about it. I'm just making you think about it." He smiled before moving a tile three times and grabbed Zuko's last three tiles, "I win."

* * *

Chiyo had arrived home just to see her sister sitting there with a book in her hand. "Welcome home." She was greeted by her sister in whom she gave the twelve-year-old a bright smile. "What has you so cheery?" She asked as the older sibling merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I convinced Zuko to go with me to the Fall festival. I've been trying to get him to go for years and I finally went through to him!" Her sister flinched, unbeknownst to Chiyo, as she shut the book closed in a hard manner.

"You and Zuko are pretty close. You sure it isn't because you actually like him?" asked Mai and that's when the room became quiet. A confused expression was clear on the older girl's face, her amber eyes staring at her sister for quite some time. "Most girls that invite a guy are usually inviting them as a date." She played it off so that she came off unjealous, but just curious.

Now that, that sentence was said Chiyo clung to the thought of her little sister actually jealous that she was going to the festival with Zuko because she had liked him. "Oh, well… I never really looked at Zuko in that type of way." With a shrug of her shoulders, she ran her fingers through her silky locks. "I mean, I don't even know what it means to have a, what's it called?" She tapped her forefinger against her chin before pointing it in the air, "Oh!" She said once she remembered, "A crush. I mean, me and him are just friends."

Mai had quite a relieved expression as she placed the book on her lap. "Then why won't you let me take him to the festival?"

Her sister stiffened, "Wait, why would you want to go to the festival with Zuko?" Mai rolled her eyes as her sister completely forgot in a matter of minutes of what Mai said it meant when girls invite a guy to festivals.

"Because…" struggled the paler girl, her eyes looking down at her book. Chiyo found herself slowly frowning, knowing very well the next words that were going to come out of her sister's mouth, "because I like him."

A pregnant pause filled the room again as Chiyo stared at Mai with a frustrated yet sad look on her face. "…Why now? Why didn't you ask him to go before? Why when I want to go with him, you tell me this?" The questions couldn't stop flowing, there were more that she wanted to ask but she managed to let out those three.

"I've always liked him." answered Mai as she looked down at the book on her lap, "The reason why Zuko never went was because the timing is so close to when Lady Ursa left, right?" Chiyo frowned, figuring that was the case of years of why he was rejecting it. So, she did have a point. "And since he is willing to go, I figure it would be a good chance that I can tell him how I feel during the festival."

A lot of hurt was swirling in Chiyo's chest because she had always planned on going into this festival with him. Maybe she should just let Mai go with him, what would she look like standing in there way? Zuko was her best friend and so there was no need to go with him for no other than reason. Her pupils had looked down at the floor as she tried to suppress her hurt feelings. "Well, I guess you have a point." She found herself saying. "I mean I'm sure once you tell him he'll say yes and, well, I'll just go by myself as usual." After telling her the idea, Chiyo ran up the steps and towards her room. The feeling to cry never felt so strong like it did now.

* * *

Drums filled the air as the orange lit capital city of the Fire Nation had rejoiced in time of the festival. It was the day of the Autumn Equinox, a day where Azulon had won the battle of Gar Sai and for years it was dubbed as a day for celebration of the Fire Nation. Chiyo had told Zuko that day after Mai's confession that she wouldn't be able to go with him due to her being sick. In a way, she didn't lie because once her father found out that she wouldn't be going, he had set her up on a date with General Kuon's son, Shen which made her quite sick. It made the young assassin quite uncomfortable knowing that she was his father's killer but he did not know that she went on the job. He, however, accepted the date due to other reasons. Shen was quite a handsome fellow, known by all the girls in the Fire Nation. He had long, silky raven colored hair that was always in a ponytail and reached down to his hips. He had dim, golden round eyes that seemed to show off his confidence. He was tall, muscular, and had broad shoulders to only be the age of fifteen. Shen was a year older than Chiyo and Zuko.

"Isn't this a lovely night?" asked Shen as Chiyo was dressed in a scarlet Cheongsam that had ended at her ankles with golden embroidered dragons adorning it with red flat shoes. Her hair was out as her lips were painted red, charcoal black eyeshadow on her eyes, and barely noticable light traces of pink blush on her cheeks. Her mother thought it would be best for her daughters to wear make up, hoping that she had secured their futures with future husbands. However, Qiu's older daughter wasn't enthused about being Shen's date.

Chiyo looked at Shen with a forced smile, "It is lovely. Do you want to play games?" She offered, not wanting to ruin this night because she wasn't with the person she had wanted to be with. All the soldier did was nod his head, a rather cocky smile on his face. "What is it?" She asked him once she noticed the change of his expression; she turned to see that it was Prince Zuko and her sister Mai walking towards their direction.

Chiyo tried to plot a way to run away but it was already too late. Zuko had seen her and she could tell that he was angry from the way his eyebrows seemed to almost meet and a frown deep on his face. "Hey Shen." Zuko greeted him as Mai looked at her sister with curious eyes. She could tell when her sister was uncomfortable, it was like she radiating the feeling, and when she kept staring at the ground. "Chiyo." The ice in his voice from the way he said her name nearly made a shiver go down her spine. Well, she was totally done for as far as he was concerned.

"Prince Zuko." Shen slightly bowed and Chiyo did the same, her eyes never meeting Zuko's as the soldier had wrapped his arm around his date's small waist. "I see you're on a date with Nobleman's Gen youngest daughter. How lucky are we to be on a date with the two gorgeous girls in the Fire Nation?" His voice sounded quite smug as Zuko found himself growing irritated as time went on.

"Yeah, we are lucky." said Zuko as he continued to stare at his best friend, who kept her eyes on the ground, and her hands folded in front of her. He could tell that she felt guilty, she had every right to feel so, but why did she have to lie? Chiyo wasn't a good liar; he had known that throughout the years of knowing her. She had been begging him for years for the chance to go to this festival and when he says yes, she goes with somebody else? Something just wasn't adding up.

Mai turned to Zuko with her hand on his shoulder, but turned to look at Chiyo as she finally spoke to Shen. "Let's go play that hammer game. There's a… stuffed animal I really want to win." Her voice was soft as she looked up at Shen with innocent eyes. All she wanted to do was get away from here because she couldn't stop feeling guilty about lying to Zuko even though she had done it for her sister's sake.

Shen nodded his head as he gave the Prince a waning smile, "Excuse me, my date wants me to win her something. We'll be going."

Before they could turn and walk the other way, Zuko had spoken. "My date and I were going to play that too. Weren't we?" He looked at Mai who gave him quite a confused expression. They weren't going that way at all but she could tell that he had wanted to rival against Shen, but for what reason? She just assumed it was because boys loved to rival against one another.

"Oh, really?" Shen's voice revealed some arrogance, "This should be fun."

As the four walked alongside each other, the tension in the air had increased. Chiyo looked at Zuko who had just stared straight ahead before she let out a sigh. Things were definitely going to go sour. Once they reached it, everyone turned to see the prince and the soldier readying themselves as they stretched. "Come one and all! Watch as our Prince of the Fire Nation and son of formal General Kuon son Shen take each other on in a strength contest!"

Everyone gathered around, curious as to who was going to win. Shen looked at Chiyo, "Which one do you want me to get for you?" He was already sure that he was going to win. She looked at him and then at the shelves of prizes and saw what looked like a giant, stuffed turtle duck.

"The turtle duck." She answered as Zuko frowned.

The Prince had asked Mai the same, using the same arrogance as well, in which she replied. "Stuffed animals are childish." Shen could only smirk at the less enthusiastic response from his rival's date which only seemed to infuriate Zuko more.

Shen had walked up first, girls sighing and ahhing as he took off his coat and threw it as it landed on the man who owned the stand's head. He picked up the mallet with ease and raised it over his head before dropping it exerting as much force as he could muster. The ball had sky rocketed to the ninety-nine percentage line. He didn't win, but that was a tough act to follow. "I liked to see you beat that, Prince Zuko." As he turned, Zuko walked forward as girls had swooned over him as well. He picked up the mallet and done the same notion, except with much more execution. As Shen was putting his jacket it on, the ball had hit the bell, reaching the 100 percent spot.

The soldier turned around with wide eyes, completely shocked as the man who owned the machine announced. "Prince Zuko wins!" He said as people clapped and cheered for the royal teenage boy. He then pointed to the turtle duck in which Chiyo's eyes lowered, but to her surprise Zuko had walked up to her and handed it to her.

"You didn't have to." She found herself saying, her eyes staring at his with curiosity.

Zuko, although wanting to smile from her puerile expression, continued to have a rather unhappy expression. "You wanted it and you deserve it." He told her as Mai frowned at the action. She could see her sister's face light up as she held the turtle duck close to her, her eyes closed as she tried to contain her joy.

"Thank you." She said to him as Shen stormed off, leaving the two as Azula and Ty Lee had came over.

"Wow Zuko, that was amazing!" Ty Lee nearly said from the top of her lung as she threw her arms in the air out of excitement. "You really showed that guy!"

While his sister had a rather proud smile of her own, "Good job. I'm sure that hit a very good chunk of his egoistical pride. That's what he gets for challenging someone who is above him."

Ty Lee then wrapped her arms around Mai, "Mai could you come with us to see the fireworks? We always see them together!" She said as she pressed her cheek against her friend's face, her voice slightly on the whiny side.

Before Mai could protest Zuko had spoken first, "Chiyo's date left her and so I should probably be taking her home." Chiyo looked at him with surprise.

"But I-" Chiyo was cut off by Zuko.

"You shouldn't be walking by yourself." He knew she was going to try to convince him to continue this 'date' with Mai, but he wasn't going to let her spend the rest of her time at the festival alone even if he was mad at her.

Chiyo looked at her young sister to see what he response would be. Even though Mai had put on a brave face, her sister could still see the hurt that quickly went across her eyes. "Fine." Was her reply as Zuko had lead Chiyo back into the crowd, Mai eyes no longer seeing their forms.

"I really don't want to go home though." The brunette frowned, wanting to see the fireworks.

"That's why you're coming to the palace." He informed her as she looked rather confused, but she had knew that he wasn't going to answer her for some reason and so the two walked alongside each other through the city until they had reached the palace gates.

"Prince Zuko, did you walk yourself back?! You and Lady Chiyo shouldn't be travelling by yourselves!" One guard lectured as the boy flagged his hand.

"We were fine. Open the gate." As instructed, the guards had opened had separated the golden gates and let the two in, immediately closing it behind them as Zuko looked at Chiyo at the corner of his eyes as she had looked straight ahead. There was not a drop of an expression on her face, not even a little ounce of inquisitiveness or excitement. He could tell that something was bother her and he was pretty sure it had something to do about her being caught with Shen.

Once they reached the large, palace doors it was opened for them and Zuko had continued to lead the way to his sleeping chambers. The young girl felt quite nervous, she hadn't been in his room since they were kids and now that they were older, it felt strange. Even though they wouldn't be inside where his bed was, they would be outside toward the balcony, she still felt her chest growing rather heavy which was making it difficult for her to breathe eveningly. As he opened the doors, she stepped inside the large room and smiled since it was the same as it always been.

Opening the glass doors at the right corner, they had both walked out and saw the bright stars that twinkled in the dark blue sky. "Its really beautiful out here." Chiyo found herself saying as she noticed the lights of the festival still brightening the city.

"So, are we going to talk about Shen?" He asked as he leaned on the marble railing of the balcony.

She had knew this was coming, but not as fast as it did. "My dad told me to go with him after I told him I wasn't going to go. I lied to you that I was sick because Mai wanted to take you as her date."

"Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" Zuko asked as Chiyo, obviously knew now that her sister didn't confess her feelings to Zuko as she thought she had. _'She must have been waiting for the fireworks, huh? I feel bad, but I feel really happy that he's actually with me right now. Like he was supposed to be in the first place...' _Chiyo was surprised at her thoughts. How could she be happy when she knew her sister was upset right now?

The Prince hadn't said anything for a while, probably gathering his thoughts. "I don't know why. She didn't seem interested in anything I wanted to do." He finally spoke as his friend felt herself wanting to laugh. Mai did take a dramatic personality change. She wasn't very much into many things, finding herself bored with most things that other people found exciting. She wasn't quite sure what brought upon that change, but she had still very much loved her little sister more than anything and anyone in the world.

"That's Mai for you. It takes her a while to open up, I'm sure she was just shy." Chiyo tried to make it up for her sister. The boy merely shrugged as he then looked at her from over his shoulder, "What?" She found herself saying because he just looked at her without saying anything. Why was he just staring at her like that? It made her feel uneasy.

"You seem to really like that turtle duck." He pointed out as she looked down at it as her arms were around it tightly. "It kind of reminds me of the small pond in the courtyard. My mom use to feed them."

Chiyo smiled sadly as she could tell that Zuko's love for his mother never lessened over the years. "Why don't you keep it then?"

"What do I look like with a stuffed turtle duck?" His expression was deadpanned as she found herself laughing.

"I just thought it would be nice to keep it as a memory of your mother, but I guess it is a little too girly." Her hand stroked atop of the duck's head, the soft bristles of its fur touching against her hand. "I really miss her too."

The Prince smiled as she looked at him with one. Despite all the tension that was between them earlier, it seemed to cease now that they were together under the star-filled sky. Soon colors of red, blue, and green filled the air as explosions had erupted and created the beauty of fireworks. Chiyo had lean her head on Zuko's shoulder as the fireworks went on for several hours with her doing the same notion with his head leaning atop of hers.

* * *

"Lady Chiyo. Lady Chiyo, you must wake up." said the young girl's servant. It was past sunrise, nearly closing itself in at noon and the young Fire Nation girl still hadn't awakened. All the servant would receive is a groan and sometimes her hand slapped away. "Chiyo, if you don't wake up I'm going to get a buck of water!" And that's when Chiyo had snapped away, her eyes meeting the person who had awakened her.

"Don't scare me like that Fuuka." A sigh of relief escaped Chiyo as her servant, Fuuka, smiled at her. Fuuka had been Chiyo's personal, loyal, and friendly servant for the past three years. She had dark brown hair that was always tied in a long braid and mahogany brown eyes. Her family had been loyal servants of their family for years and so it was bound that once she was old enough, she would take the same job as well.

She and Chiyo had always been what people would consider close since Fuuka wasn't scared of her like the other servants were. Mai would make them go around in circles and make their lives a little harder than they already were and so Fuuka found herself happier and more livelier when in Chiyo's presence. "I had to scare you or else you wouldn't have woken up. Do you feel sick or something? You never sleep this late." As Fuuka questioned her, she placed the back of her hand against her friend's forehead to feel if it was warm.

"No," Chiyo continued, "I was up all night with Zuko looking at the fireworks at last night's festival." Slowly, but surely, a smirk started to appear on the servant's face. "What?"

"So you spent all night with Prince Zuko, huh? I guess he's the one who brought the turtle duck, right?" Her finger pointed to the stuffed animal that was on top of the oak dresser which made the young assassin face lit up at the sight of it. Fuuka had already gotten her answer from the look on the nobleman's daughter's face before letting out a sigh. "Oh, that reminds me! I came to wake you up because Prince Zuko had messaged you." She reached in the front pocket of her dressed and pulled out a white envelope with the red royal seal on the back.

Chiyo had taken it, her face curious of its contents. Fuuka had given her an envelope knife, which the older girl had immediately taken, and then pulled out the letter and read it out loud. "Chiyo. Can you come over today? I would really like to tell you some news and it's something that I would like to explain personally." After reading the letter, she furrowed her brows and slightly pouted. "What do you think he wants to tell me?"

"I don't know but that arrived like two hours ago, but Mai told me to let you rest a little longer since you were up all night." Chiyo frowned as Fuuka explained why she had woken her up late. Did Mai do that on purpose or because she was really concerned? Chiyo started to feel that her strong bond with her sister was starting to weaken more and more as time had went on.

Chiyo had immediately went to her feet and started to get dress. "I have to go over there, it might be something important." She said as she hurried up and put on her baggy pants and then slipped onto her boots. Her hair, which was a mess, was just pulled into a ponytail because she didn't want to waste her time brushing her hair.

"But Chiyo, you-" Before she could let out the rest of the sentence, Chiyo had ran out the room and down the hallway, "you didn't eat your tarts."

Already at the gates, the brunette pushed them open and startled the guards. "Lady Chiyo, where are you going?!" They asked her as she kept running.

"To the palace!" She informed them as she kept running, excusing herself as she bumped into a few people. Once she had reached the Palace gates, she was panting and perspiration dripping down her forehead. The guards looked at her curiously, "Prince Zuko wanted me here." She managed to say as they opened the golden gates and let her run through as well through the palace doors. Once she was in, she went down the hall and she had seen him, he looked a little frustrated though, but he seemed to somewhat smile when he caught her.

She walked over toward him and wiped her forehead, "I sent you a message hours ago, where have you been?" He had asked.

"Well, I overslept." Chiyo said, laughing nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. "My servant had to wake me up earlier, I'm sorry. But what did you want to tell me?" She asked as he sighed.

"I wish you came earlier like I asked because now isn't the time." Zuko then looked over his shoulder at one of the guards at the door.

Chiyo looked at him and then at the guard he was staring at, "Isn't that the war chamber?"

"Yeah, I want to go in and be an important asset to my father. Don't you think that I should be in there? I am the Crown Prince." He explained, in which she understood, but she knew war chambers were quite… boring. Not only that, all the men in there just reeked over selfishness and evil. She knew some of those generals, they were war mongrels but that could be said about the Fire Lord, right?

But of course, she could see why Zuko wanted to be in there. He always wanted to show his dad that he was strong and that he would be a good Fire Lord one day. In a way, she could understand his eagerness and very much supported it. "I think you should go too! I mean, one day you'll be Fire Lord Zuko! Ha!" She grinned, "It has a good ring to it, doesn't it?"

Her enthusiasm had much lifted his spirits and he found himself smiling as well, "It does, but first I have to know the ins and out of war and that's why I should be in there. That guard won't let me through."

The brunette frowned, wishing that she could help but what good could she do? She was only in the war chamber twice because they had missions for her. Soon Iroh had showed his kind face, placing his hand on his nephew's shoulder. Zuko turned to look at him as the older man spoke, "Prince Zuko, what's wrong?"

"I want to go into the war chamber," He was still clearly upset even though Chiyo made him smile, "but the guard won't let me pass!" His voice, still going through puberty, had cracked at the end of it which made Chiyo want to laugh but she suppressed it. Her best friend was disappointed and he would definitely take her laughter the wrong way.

Iroh then gave the young girl a look, which Chiyo understood, and let Iroh lead him a short distance away from her and the guards. "You're not missing anything, trust me. These meetings are dreadfully boring."

"If I'm gonna rule this nation one day, don't you think I need to start learning as much as I can?" Zuko asked his Uncle, very serious about this ordeal.

Iroh sighed, giving in. It wasn't like Zuko didn't have a valid point, "Very well. But you must promise not to speak. These old folks are a bit sensitive, you know."

Zuko bowed to Iroh, "Thank you Uncle!" He quickly ran over to Chiyo and grabbed her hands, cupping them out of excitement. Chiyo, however, was more shocked and nervous than she was excited. Her amber eyes looked into his golden ones, seeing them light up. He always had this twinkle in them whenever he was excited and it always brought a warm feeling in her heart to know that he was happy. "Uncle is going to let me in! Can you wait for me in the Palace? It shouldn't be very long, all right?"

She was going to be dreadfully bored, but she would wait here since he wanted her to. "All right." She nodded her head and then looked at Iroh who was smiling. "Take care of him, Uncle." Chiyo said to him as Iroh let out a soft chuckle.

"My nephew may be a handful, but he's nothing that I can't handle." Iroh managed to say as he puts the boy around his shoulders, Zuko's warm hands letting go of her slender ones, and they walke past the guards, who made no move to stop them. Chiyo smiled as Zuko looked forward, eager about this meeting.

Chiyo stood there and placed her hand on her head, "I feel silly for running here now. I need a bath." She talked to herself, in which made the guards look at her curious. Her cheeks flushed a shade of red, "Oh, uhm, sorry! That was meant for myself." She waved her arms nervously before turning around and running down the hall and away from the war chamber.

* * *

The young girl was allowed to bathe and have her clothes washed and dried. Since she was so close and had been here as a child, they treated her much like they did both the Prince and the Princess. But unlike the Princess, she wasn't as cruel and demanding. Chiyo had learned, from Fuuka, that some of these servants did not need such the cruel criticism and torture of running around that they were given. Their jobs were nearly endless and they deserved a "thank you" and some help once in a while. Her father told her that it weak and disrespectful for someone of her stature to do it, but she felt it was right in heart and she never ceased to stop.

As soon as her bath was over, she found herself walking towards the War chamber because she thought the meeting would be over by now and it was, but something wasn't right. Zuko came out, looking quite confident while Iroh had looked disappointed. A frown slowly adorned her face_. 'Zuko, what the hell did you do?'_ She thought to herself, knowing that something bad probably happened.

As she approached him, Zuko looked at her and it looked like he struggled for a few minutes. She merely squinted her eyes, trying to read him but to no avail. "What happened? Is everything all right?" She decided to question, hoping that she would receive an answer.

"I'm going to be in an Agni Kai." Her heart literally stopped. What the hell did he mean he was going to be in an Agni Kai?

"Wait, what?" Her voice had worn its confusion, "But why?"

Iroh had walked over as Zuko explained, "General Rei wanted to slaughter the new recruits by using them as sacrifice. I told him that they love and defend our nation, how could he betray them? Of course, I shouldn't of spoke because I disrespected him."

"Which resulted in an Agni Kai." Iroh added which made Chiyo's worry not lessen.

"Is there a way that you can stop it? I mean, you didn't mean to disrespect him in that way. You were just trying to tell him that it was morally wrong to do that to those soldiers, right? I'm really worried about this." Zuko frowned at what she said, taking it somewhat the wrong way.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to look at him. "You don't think I can take him on? Are you telling me I'm not strong enough?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying at all, Zuko." The female quickly defended herself, only saying she was worried about his safety but saying something like that did give the impression, at least to him, that she thought he might not win which wasn't the case. Agni Kai's usually ended… horribly.

"Then trust me." She hated that he said that. That meant there was no way in going around it. His mind was too set on this and so there was no need to argue.

Chiyo lowered her head, almost wanting to argue with him but stopping herself because she knew it was a lost cause. "I trust you." Muttered Chiyo, wanting to almost take the words back.

He then slid his hands off her shoulders and then turned to his Uncle, "I'm going to get ready. You guys should go to the stadium so you can cheer me on, alright?"

Iroh continued to frown, "How can you put out a fire set on a cart-load of firewood with only a cup of water?"

"Uncle, I have no time for your proverbs! Just go!" And on that note, Zuko had left them as Chiyo watched him until he was far from her line of sight.

"This worse than what I think it is, isn't it?" She asked as she looked in the direction where the Prince had gone.

Iroh closed his eyes, "Its worse than what I think it is as well. Let's go to the arena, we have to support him."

With a nod of her head, they had turned left and walked down the hall in which led to the arena. They would be able to stand at a good distance from the arena, even though they weren't all that enthused. Lucky thing Agni Kai wasn't too the death, but some people usually left out of it with a mark of the battle. Iroh had placed his arm around her shoulder, trying to show her some comfort which made Chiyo feel guiltier. She could already tell that he was worried about Zuko and he didn't need to be worried about her too.

She looked up at him and he looked down at her, they were both afraid. "I know I should have more faith, but what if…"

"We cannot dwell on what ifs. It will only hurt us in the end." He informed her, in which she had did understand. She was already questioning if what she had agreed that he shouldn't go in the war chamber, maybe it might not have resulted in this. The stands grew crowded, music being played as everyone was getting prepared.

After a while, Zuko had walked into the arena, shirtless and confident. Many girls screamed at Zuko's muscular form, he was quite handsome and so it was bound to happen, but Chiyo couldn't pay attention to that. She was much too afraid of the outcome of this. However, he did find her and they had given each other a warm smile. She whispered 'good luck' knowing that he wouldn't hear, but deep down she had known that he knew what she said but her eyes soon then widened in horror as she watched who came out the entrance to the arena soon after. Zuko had seen it, but he didn't pay any mind to it. He stood, knowing that his opponent was in the arena. But when he turned, he had seen that it was his father.

Immediately, Zuko had fallen to his knees, his hands on the stone arena. "Please, father, I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn."

No matter what he said, the Fire Lord still advanced forward. "You will fight for your honor."

Chiyo bit her lip, her eyes watering as her best friend abased himself on the floor. He was completely stricken, there was no way Zuko wanted to fight his father. "I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son."

She flinched as Zuko's voice rose, "Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" He demanded his son.

However, the Prince did not change his mind. "I won't fight you."

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher." said Ozai as he now stood a few feet from his son, the Prince raised his face as the tears filled his gold eyes to his father. Iroh had looked fearful as he had heard the cries of Chiyo next to him, fearing what was going to happen while Azula, Zuko's own sister, had a gruel grin and obviously hoped the worst to befall her own brother. She even raised her left first in anticipation; Iroh had held Chiyo and looked away in despair as Zuko's scream of pure, utter anguish filled the air of the arena.

Some people cheered, some people gasped, and some people had done nothing. Zuko squirmed, holding his eye as a medical team soon came and carted the Prince inside the palace.

* * *

In Zuko's room, he was asleep in his room with his wounded eye bandaged. He was now bald, except for a ponytail, since most of his hair was burned that they decided to shave nearly almost all his hair. Chiyo had stayed by his side throughout the whole ordeal, holding his hand and falling asleep at the little space there was for her head. Iroh would come and bring food and tea, sometimes he would stay and wait with her, but since he was still General at the time, he had worked that had to be done and it would leave her. The Prince was asleep for six days, she would leave and bathe, and then come back to be by his side all over again.

But when he woke up, her face was the first thing he saw. "Chiyo?" He called her name, surprised to see her as she gave him a smile of relief.

"Hey you." She said as he tried to sit himself up, "Don't push yourself."

"My body is fine, its just my eye." Zuko said as he felt her hand tightened his, she had no intention of letting go and he had no intention of letting her let go. "So, how long have I been sleep?" He asked as she looked down at his hand.

"For six days." Chiyo answered him, her hand giving him an affectionate squeeze. "I was.. really scared."

He looked at her as he had noticed her voice had gone from soft to hoarse, "I'm sorry." He apologized as he had seen her bottom lip quiver and her shoulders tremble.

"I'm so happy that you're alive and your awake, but I kept thinking… I could've lost you and there was nothing I could about it. I didn't save you, I just stood there and cried! What kind of friend am I, Zuko? I should've saved you, I should-" Before she could name more things that she could have done, the Prince had pulled her into an embrace in which caused her to cry. She couldn't hold it in anymore, she buried her face in the crook of his neck and let all the pain go.

The door had soon opened and Iroh had walked in with a tray with three full cups of steaming hot tea. "I knew you would wake up today." He said as Chiyo lightly pulled herself out of Zuko's embrace and wiped her tears. He had taken a seat next to Chiyo, a chair he had placed there the other day. He had rubbed Chiyo's back as she found herself able to stop crying and actually smile. "She never left your side for too long. She's even slept here!" Iroh teased as the girl blushed, pouting at the man laughed and Zuko managed to smile as he looked at her.

Iroh had given the young prince a cup of tea, in which he accepted. Silence had filled the air and Chiyo had known what was coming, Zuko wanted to know his father felt in which Iroh and Chiyo knew the answer. "So, what's my punishment?" He asked them as he placed the teacup back on its plate, "I know that what happened three days ago wasn't all that was in store for me."

Before Iroh could even explain, the door had opened yet again and this time it was Fire Lord Ozai. He had walked over towards the end of Zuko's bed, "I see you're awake." Chiyo had lowered her head, "I hope you are ready to leave today, Prince Zuko." Everyone's eyes had widened as they looked at the Fire Lord, "You are hereby banished from the Fire Nation. You may only return with the Avatar."

The atmosphere was dead. Zuko looked like his heart had been ripped out of his chest, Chiyo felt the burn of it as well. How could he do that to his own son? He basically wanted him to travel the world in search for the Avatar? Wasn't the last avatar possibly killed? How could he do this? He was evil. Pure evil. With no more words, Ozai had left and the three were left in the room. "I need some time alone." Zuko managed to say Chiyo and Iroh looked at each other and then back at Zuko, nodding their heads and standing. Chiyo hadn't even touched her tea, she felt disgusted and so she had left with Iroh following behind her.

Before Chiyo could even discuss the turn of events with Iroh, Ozai had walked toward them in which caused them to bow. "Chiyo. You and I have something to converse." The young girl stiffened, afraid as he said that. Still, she stood straight and gave him a firm nod.

"Of course, Fire Lord Ozai." She said as she looked at Iroh who gave his brother a questionable look but then a smile.

"See you later Chiyo and goodbye, brother." He said before walking away as Ozai lead Chiyo towards the throne room.

Once they were there, the young girl had knelt down as the Fire Lord made his way onto the golden seat and sat down as the flames rose from the torches in front of him. "How may I assist you, My Lord?" Chiyo wanted to get straight to the point, she didn't know what he wanted from her but she knew that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"I want you to destroy the ship." Ozai announced which made Chiyo look up at him, first with question and then confusion.

"What ship?" Chiyo asked, confused.

The Fire Lord narrowed his eyes, "The ship my son will be on."

"You want me to kill your son?!" Her voice rose, obviously out of anger and pure distraught. "How could you possibly ask me to do such a thing?!"

"He would never expect it to you and aren't you a royal worker of the Fire Nation royalty? You have a job to do." He said as the young girl stood.

"I would never do such a thing to him! You're a monster!" Chiyo yelled as she pointed at him, her fear of him becoming slim to nothing.

Ozai merely scoffed, "And you will die. You're a dishonorable brat just like my son." And as soon as he said there, soldiers came from the room from the back. Chiyo looked around, surprised, and then looked at the door behind her and then slowly inched toward it. She made a run for it as the bender simultaneously firebended a stream of fire, which she had dodged by just a little.

She ran down the hall and out of the building, soldiers following after her. Outside, it was pouring rain and thunder and lightning had made their appearance. She had to get out of here. She didn't have no means to defend herself against the benders and so she had to keep running as fast as she could. Fuuka, one of her servants, was out with an umbrella doing a chore. She had seen Chiyo and then followed after her, "Chiyo! Where are you going?"

"I have to leave. I'm on the run." She managed to say as Fuuka turned and saw the guards not too far off, she threw Chiyo toward an alleyway and blocked her form with her own as the guards continued to run, not even looking in their direction.

"You can't go unarmed. I'm going to get your weapons and I'm going with you." Fuuka explained, "Just stay here and don't make yourself visible." The young girl nodded her head as her friend ran toward the direction of what Chiyo knew wouldn't be a safe place to go back to. A few minutes had passed as Fuuka came back with the girl's bow and quiver full of arrows. Chiyo had placed them on, soaking wet but not caring since her life was on the line. "I told Mai and she's looking for you." Chiyo frowned, knowing that her sister would find out one way or another. "I'm going to go to the docks and purchase us some tickets. At least say goodbye to your sister, I'll wait for you." She said as Fuuka soon left her.

"Chiyo!" A voice called out in the middle of the rain, her body becoming drenched by the rain that had poured from the dark clouds. Lightning would lit up the whole Fire Nation capital with just a split second before disappearing as the crackles of thunder would erupt in the air, nearly stopping the girl in her tracks as she had seen her sister stand there "Chiyo!" The young girl called again, falling down to her knees because she lost footing on the concrete ground. "Chiyo!" Her cries did not cease as her tears blended with the rain and sobs soon leaving her throat. The older girl that she had called out too remained still despite the crying of her younger sister. It was as if she was frozen, unable to move, but once she felt a tug on her pants leg, she couldn't keep still. Slowly, the older female looked down at her sister with soft eyes.

Kneeling down beside her, Chiyo had slowly wrapped her arms around her younger sister. "You must promise me that you will always be strong, Mai." Her voice was hoarse, obviously from crying. "Don't ever show your weakness to anyone. Don't fear anyone, love more than you fear. I have made a mistake, I have let myself do things that I know that I can never change. Don't be like me, Mai. Don't follow my footsteps." Her hand slowly rubbed up and down her sisters back as the young girl shook from tears. "I'm going to be leaving for a long, long time. I want you to be strong for mom and dad, they're going to need you." Pulling her younger sister away, she looked deep in the gold eyes of her sister as her hair clung to the side of her face and shoulders. "Will you promise me, Mai?"

Mai was hesitant, her young mind unable to comprehend the events that were happening. All she knew was that her sister was leaving her in which she had hoped that she wouldn't. Why would Chiyo leave her? Why she should leave home anyway? Whenever she left, she had always promised to comeback but this time she did not say a word of coming back. Why was that? "Why aren't you coming back?" asked Mai, her voice growing hard out of sadness and frustration. "Why are you doing this?!" Chiyo had slowly looked down, her amber eyes showing a display of emotions that she did not want Mai to read. "Come back home. Let's go home."

"I can't." said Chiyo, her voice soft as she pressed her lips against her sister's forehead. "Hurry home, you're going to be sick. I'm sure mom and dad are worried about you anyway." And with that said, Mai felt the warm embrace of her elder sister slowly disappear as the cold rain enveloped all around her. She watched as her sister turned and walked away and for some reason, she didn't have the power to get up and look for her. All Mai could do was cry as the rain sang, the thunder screamed, and the lightning dance in the dark, cloudy sky.

Chiyo had met up with Fuuka at the docks and they had left to wherever they found to be safe.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
I hope Mai wasn't too OOc ish.


	4. Book 1: Water-Air Temple & Kyoshi Island

**Disclaimer:** I do not own A:TLA or any of its characters.

* * *

**_Three years later…_**

"Firbender." Whispered a watertribe boy, "Nobody make a sound."

His sister however, exasperated at her brother. "You're making a sound!"

"Shhhh!" They shushed her as they had seen a shadow behind a door.

The watertribe boy then whispered, readying his weapon. "That firebender won't know what hit 'em."

The doors had slowly opened and revealed a girl standing there, her eyes were wide with shock at the three people. "Uhm…" She hummed as Sokka, Aang, and Katara stared at her.

"I knew I wasn't the only one!" screamed a bald-headed boy with a blue arrow tattoo visible on his head. He ran towards the girl and wrapped his arms around her, "I told you guys someone had to have survived."

The girl blinked several times as she looked down at the boy, who looked at her with wide eyes. "Uh… Who are you?" She managed to ask before looking behind her for a quick second.

"I'm the Avatar! Avatar Aang!" said the younger boy, spinning around into the air with his airbending.

"Really? I thought the Avatar was dead! This is great news, but sorry to be rude for a minute… But do you guys have any food?"

"We were kind of going to ask you the same thing." The watetribe warrior then ended up answering.

The other watertribe member, a female, had walked over. "Are you an… airbender?" She asked with curious eyes.

"Oh, well, uh…" the girl mumbled as they then heard a groan behind her. "My friend is pretty weak and she needs some food. Please can you help us?"

"Katara, do we have any food?" Aang asked, now concerned about the girl's friend.

With a sigh, Katara folded her arms and tried to remember. "Well, we have some potatoes and vegetables and can make a stew, but we have no meat."

Sokka frowned, "Then that isn't stew. It's a vegetable and potato soup."

"Its better than nothing!" Aang countered, "And I don't eat meat so that's good for me!"

The girl they had met nodded her head, "That's better. Some soup would really help her." She turned and walked back inside the sanctuary and they saw a girl with long, brown hair lying down the center of the room in a sleeping bag. Aang had sat next to the girl, her eyes closed and her breathing slow and almost painful. "All I have been giving her is water, but we ran out of food a couple days ago."

"You two came here? But how?" Katara asked, now knowing they weren't from the temple. Aang frowned, now realizing that these two must not be airbenders.

"We came by airship." The girl said as she grabbed her friend's hand, trying to give her a sign that she was still here.

"Why is she so weak and you aren't?" Aang asked, "You look fine."

"Oh, well I am pretty hungry believe you me. Its just my friend was fighting before we got here, we have only been here for about two weeks. Her injuries have healed thanks to my medicine, but since we ran out of food, it didn't help speed her recovery." The female explained as Katara, who they didn't notice who left, came back with the ingredients for the food.

"I'll start making the food, can you guys see if you can find some meat?" asked Katara, in which Aang slightly frowned.

Sokka grinned, "Sounds good to me!"

They soon heard noises and a shadow appeared at a window, they looked over and saw it was a winged lemur looking at them with rather wide, green eyes. His ears flopped down on his back when he noticed that they were staring at him. "Lemur!" shouted the Avatar.

However, Sokka then had the same reaction. In fact he was drooling, "Dinner…"

Both boys had lunged at the small animal with their arms visibly outstretched towards the lemur as they rapidly close in on him. He bristles like a cat and dashes away from them, screaming and bolting out of the temple. "Wait! Come back!" the twelve-year-old called out to him.

"I wanna eat you!" Sokka yelled with the same enthusiasm as they went out to the entrance hallway.

Katara and the girl shook their heads and sighed, "What's your name? My name is Katara." The blue-eyed girl introduced.

"My name is Fuuka, but you can call me Fuu for short." Said the girl with a smile, "And my friend is Chiyo."

"I don't mean to pry, but you said your friend was fighting. Who was she fighting?" asked the waterbender, somewhat curious and cautious to who these girls were. Fuuka, who they had meant, seemed friendly but they didn't know if she wasn't who they thought she was.

Fuuka had blinked twice and then nodded her head, understanding. "I think it would be best to discuss this when the boys come back. They have every right to know." Katara couldn't argue, she agreed as she stood up. "Do you need any help?"

"Yeah, I'm going to get some firewood. You can come with me, but you don't have to leave her." Katara said but Fuuka shook her head.

"It's okay. I can't let you do all the work by yourself, you are helping her after all." And on that note, the two walked together outside the temple and had a little chat.

Meanwhile, Aang was at a stone clearing that has an ascending stone staircase. He was chasing lands on the ground for the lemur and even resorted to pounce him, but misses. It then ran through a curtain made of decaying tent material or drapery. "Hey! Come back!" He said as he follows the lemur to the other side of the curtain. "Come on out, little lemur. That hungry guy won't bother you anymore." As he approaches another drape, parts it, and walks through. He drew a sharp breath from what he saw. Firebender uniforms and skeletons covering the floor of a decaying building. "Firebenders? They were here?" He said out of surprise. At the back of the grotto lied the skeletal remains of a monk. It was bathed in the sunlight coming from above, for he had obviously fallen in combat fighting against a rather large odds. Aang had stared at the necklace, now knowing who it was. "Gyatso…" He mumbled as he fell to his knees, desvastated.

Sokka, now arriving, pulled back the curtain. "Hey Aang, you find my dinner yet?" He asked as he then saw the young monk's head in his hands, crying. "Aang, I wasn't really going to eat the lemur, okay?" He tried to calm him down before he sees the skeleton and does a doubletake. "Oh, man... come on, Aang, everything will be all right. Let's get out of here."

The older boy puts his hand on Aang's shoulder as the arrow on Aang's head begins to glow a beautiful, ethereal blue. Aang's face, his eyes are glowing brightly in an angry expression as he lifts his head. Sokka gasps as he looks on in alarm.

As Katara and Fuuka were walking back to the temple, laughing about something they had talked about and as they passed the statues in in the Them Sanctuary, they stopped in front of Roku. The eyes were lit up with the same blue light as Aang's and so did the eyes of all the other statues in order around the room. They looked at each other, but Katara knew it had to be about Aang. They both dropped the firewood and raced from the room

A whirlwind formed around the boy and the air was swirling fast around the bones lying on the ground. The Avatar crouched, his hands balled into a fist and eyes and arrow continuing to glow, the wind started to pick up an almost disastrous speed around him.

"Aang! Come on, snap out of it!" Sokka tried to reason with him. A light blue energy sphere surrounded Aang and it had begun to expand, knocking Sokka back out of the building. "Aaahhh!" He screamed as the energy sphere expands to the point where it blows most of the building apart, sending smoke and debris high into the air. The watertribe boy lands outside the building.

Aang, now partially obscured by the energy sphere and the maelstrom, continued to remain in his unconscious state. Katara and Fuuka joined Sokka behind some rubble, all of them shielding their faces from the wind. "What happened, Sokka?" She asked her brother.

"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso." explained Sokka as his sister appeared shock.

"Oh no, it's his Avatar spirit! He must have triggered it! I'm gonna try and calm him down." Katara told them her plan.

Fuuka grabbed onto Sokka, afraid of being blown away as Sokka had one arm around her and the other onto the rubble, trying not to get them blown away. At first, he had blushed at the girl's action, but tried to remain serious. "Well, do it before he blows us off the mountain!"

His sister slowly approaches Aang, struggling against the wind, as Aang and his energy sphere slowly rise into the air but ends up getting blown back and caught by Fuuka, who was still holding onto Sokka as he was holding onto a rock. They all cling together, desperately. "Aang, I know you're upset…" She shouted calmly. "... and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom. Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I, we're your family now."

At the end of Katara's statement, the Avatar began to descend when she finished. His feet alight on the ground as the wind dies away. His eyes and arrows are still glowing as the three teens had run over to him. Fuuka stood back a little as Sokka, in a gentle voice, spoke to him. "Katara and I aren't going to let anything happen to you. Promise."

His sister takes one of Aang's hands in her own. The glow instantly fades from his eyes and arrow markings. Grief-stricken and exhausted, he collapses into Katara's arms and she holds him around his shoulders as they kneel on the ground. "I'm sorry." Aang said in a tired voice.

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." She cooed.

But it didn't stop Aang from being sad, "But you were right. And if firebenders found this temple that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender." Katara holds him tighter and Sokka puts a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Not really." Fuuka spoke as all three of them looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked as the girl looked away.

"Well…" Fuuka continued on as they looked behind her to see an amber-eyed girl.

"Fuuka is an airbender." Chiyo said which Fuuka turned around in surprise.

Aang's brown eyes lit up, "I knew you were an airbender! It was the only way you could get through that part of the temple."

"Well, I didn't really know until I had to sneeze." The brown-eyed girl laughed with her hand on the back of her head.

Sokka looked at the girl behind them with squinted eyes and then that's when it clicked, "Your eyes, your Fire Nation!" He pointed at her in which caused Katara and Aang to gasp.

"I'm not a bender and as far as the Fire Nation is concerned, I lost my citizenship three years ago." Chiyo explained as she held onto her side.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, but Chiyo broke down in a coughing fit.

"Let's go back inside so I can make the stew." Katara suggested as Fuuka helped Chiyo back inside.

* * *

Once the food was done and the bowls were filled, Chiyo took a sip and sighed of relief. Sokka was watching her with suspicious eyes. "So what do you mean by what you said earlier?" Aang seemed to be cautious, his own distrust for her evident since finding Monk Gyatso and what the Fire Nation had done.

"I use to be an assassin for the Fire Nation when I was young." Everyone gasped, except for Fuuka, at her confession. "When I was seven, a man broke into my home and was trying to kill my younger sister. There were some people who wanted to overthrow Fire Lord Azulon and hated my father and thought that if they killed my sister that it would shake them up." Chiyo stared down at the food, her eyes looking at the floating vegetables. "And I killed him to protect her and that's when they realized that with my height and build, I would make the perfect person to kill those who were in inside groups to kill the Fire Lord and all his royal subjects."

Katara placed her hand over her mouth, "That's horrible. You were just a kid."

Chiyo smiled at her, feeling that the distrust they had for her was slowly dissipating. "I know, but I had to do it. When I turned I believe to be 10, I had my last mission for a long time until I was fourteen."

"What mission was that?" Sokka asked, now curious. Fuuka had a sad smile on her face as she had seen the sullen look in her friend's eyes.

"To kill my best friend." She found the strength to say it.

The trio looked at her with question and sympathy. "But why?"

"It's a long story but I told Fire Lord Ozai that I wouldn't do it and so he was going to have me killed, but I had escaped thanks to Fuuka. I would've been a goner." Chiyo said as she smiled at her.

Sokka then ate more of his soup, "But how did you guys get here?" He said with his mouthful.

"Well," Fuuka decided to explain with her eyes looking at the fire, "we took a ship to the Earth Kingdom, but there were wanted posters of us everywhere. We were on the run for three years. A couple of weeks ago, things were getting worse and then that's when I thought "Well they would never find us in the Air Temples" and that's when we found out that an important General was coming to the town we were in by airship and we ended up stealing that and we ended up here."

"Airship? Wow." Aang sighed, "That's what they must have used to wipe out all the airbenders." He frowned at the thought as he then looked at Fuuka. "But good thing I'm not the only airbender." Aang's eyes lit up at a thought, "I can teach you airbending moves! This will be fun! I will be someone's sifu."

Chiyo smiled as she could see Fuuka was just as excited, "So, that means you want us to travel with you?"

"Well, you guys can't stay here." Katara then spoke as she took everyone's empty bowls. "And I think Fuuka should master airbending."

Sokka, although reluctant, agreed. "Yeah and we can keep a watch on you two. You may be girls, pretty ones, but you're Fire Nation which makes you quite on the crazy side."

"Sokka!" His sister hissed, "Don't mind him."

Chiyo chuckled, "Don't worry. I would feel the same way if I was in his shoes."

"Look how big our family has gotten! Although, the girls are out numbering the boys now." The Avatar made note, "But that doesn't matter! It's going to be great!"

Chiyo and Fuuka both nodded as Katara smiled at Aang's beaming grin. "So, where are you heading to?" asked Chiyo.

"To the North Pole. I haven't mastered all the elements and so I have to learn water, earth, and then fire." Aang explained, "But since it's so far, we'll be taking pit stops just to make sure we can keep our necessities filled."

"Well, we can contribute." Fuuka said as she looked at Chiyo who gave her a nod. Reaching in her pockets, she pulled out a brown pouch with gold pieces spilling out of it. Sokka, Katara, and Aang looked at the shiny gold coins with awe. "We made enough money to survive, but since were always on the run we didn't have a chance to stock up and there are no stores here… So yeah." Fuuka laughed nervously as they all oohed.

Sokka picked up a piece, "Do you know how much meat we can buy with just one coin?! We'll never be hungry!" Katara then snatched it out of his hand and the pouch. "Hey!"

"We can't just buy meat with it. Sometimes we have to buy disguises and other things, this isn't meat money!" She yelled at her brother in which made Fuuka and Chiyo chuckl. Embarrassed, Sokka just pouted and poked the fire. "We should be leaving anyway."

Chiyo nodded, "Let's pack up."

* * *

Aang was standing once again in front of the statue of Avatar Roku. Katara had walked up behind him, "Everything's packed. You ready to go?"

The Avatar continued to look at the statue as he replied, "How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?"

"Maybe you'll find a way." She optimistically said as they both turn around to see a familiar furry creature in the doorway of the temple. Sokka desposits a bunch of fruits and nuts at his feet and begins to eat hungrily as the lemur daces away. Chiyo had crouched down as the Lemur approached her, her amber eyes wide with curiosity.

"Hey little guy."said Aang as the lemur scurried up his chest to perch on his head. "You, me, and Appa. We're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together. Katara, Sokka, Chiyo, Fuuka… Say helot o the newest member of our family." He approached them all, the lemur on his arm.

Fuuka rested her hand on the lemur's head, petting him between the ears. "What are you going to name?" asked Katara.

Surprised as the small animal jumped off him and returned later with a fruit, Aang had found the perfect name. "Momo."

The fruit that Momo had gotten had been stolen from Sokka, who was poised to bite a fruit that was no longer in his hand. Chiyo, Fuuka, Aang, and Katara began to have a fit of laughter as they soon climbed aboard Appa and left the Air Temple.

* * *

"Wow, everything looks so small from up here." Chiyo said as Fuuka curled up in a corner, afraid. "Fuuka?" Chiyo looked to her right to notice the girl wasn't beside her but in a corner next to Katara, who gave her a surprised looked as she was sewing Sokka's pants. "Are you sure you're an airbender?" Chiyo came to question as Fuuka gave the girl a menacing stare. "All right, all right."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Sokka grinned, moving towards Fuuka.

The girl gave him a curious look, "How are you going to protect me without any pants."

The boy yelped as he kept his shirt over his underwear just incase he didn't make a mistake.

"Momo, marbles please." Aang said to the lemur had it scrambled into his shirt while making noises. He came out with a marble and hands it to the avatar. The boy, who was now smiling eagerly and cupping the marble in his two hands, made his way to the waterbender. "Hey Katara! Check out this airbending trick!"

The boy suspends the marble between his two hands and makes it whirl around and around in mid-air. He is grinning happily at Katara, wanting her attention. Katara, however, is preoccupied, though, and does not look up from her sewing. "That's great, Aang." said the blue-eyed girl, who spoke rather absentmindedly.

Chiyo felt bad for Aang, he was crushed because he didn't notice. "You didn't even look."

She then stopped sewing and looks at him, "That's great!" Fuuka wanted to laugh, but kept it in as she looked at Sokka who continued to sit in the space between her and Katara… pantless.

"But I'm not doing it now." Aang points out as Sokka then moved back to the left back corner of the saddle, lolling with his arms crossed casually behind his head.

The watertribe boy waved his arms dismissively in Aang and Katara's direction, "Stop bugging her, airhead. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing."

Aang wasn't sure if it was Katara or just all the girls made an atmosphere that felt like it was below zero. Katara had stopped her needle in midair and turned towards her brother, her face a mixture of anger and annoyance. "What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?"

"Yes, explain Sokka." Fuuka added, now annoyed and not even afraid of the height. Chiyo looked at the boy at the corner of her eye as Aang watched on, entertained and yet scared for his male friend.

"Simple: girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things." Sokka gave his explantion which made the cold air decrease even more.

Fuuka scoffed as Katara feigned happiness, "All done with your pants! And look what a great job I did!" She glowers at Sokka and throws his pants at him.

The blue pants hit him on the head, "Wait! I was just kidding! I can't wear these!" He sticks his arm through the big hole in his pants. "Katara, PLEASE!"

Aang, trying to lighten the mood, mentions. "Don't worry, Sokka. Where we're going, you won't need any pants!" He gives a pull on the reigns and Appa and swoops down in the sky, glowering .

All five members of the group had jumped off the saddle and onto the beach once the bison landed on it. They looked around, Chiyo smiling as Sokka then speaks up. "We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn't we get a little more flying done before we camp out?"

"He's right. At this rate we won't get to the North Pole until spring." Katara said as Chiyo and Fuuka looked at each other and then back at Aang.

The younger male shaded his face and looked out over the water, "But Appa's tired already, aren't you boy?" The bison clearly wasn't tired and everyone knew it, but the Avatar decided to try to make it convincing still. "I said, aren't you boy?" He nudged Appa, who yawns on cue, but still doesn't convince everyone he's actually tired. The boy sticks his thumb in the bison direction as a "good boy" gesture.

Sokka and Fuuka looked at each other, even though she was still pissed by what he said earlier, they knew Aang was lying. "Yeah, that was real convincing. Still, hard to argue with a ten ton magical monster."

Chiyo, however, was not giving up. "What's the real why we're here Aang?" She asks with her arms folded.

"What about my airbender lessons?" Fuuka questioned, but Aang's mind was in another world.

He gasped excitedly and points toward the water, "Look!" A giant koi fished jumped out of the water, startling Fuuka who ran behind Sokka and used him as a shield. "That's why we're here…" The Avatar stripped down into his underwear. "…Elephant koi. And I'm going to ride it. Katara, you've gotta watch me!" He dived into the water and a second later, leaped out against with a shocked expression. "COLD!"

Chiyo, Sokka, and Katara all looked at each other wryly as Sokka makes a "he's crazy" signal by twirling his forefinger next to his head. "I'll keep you safe, Fuuka. I am a man after all!" He mentions as the girl is still behind him and grabbing onto his arms.

Meanwhile, Aang was swimming out into the bay before he dived under water and catches hold of the elephant koi. The giant fish leaps out the water with Aang riding on its back, his hand grabbing the dorsal fin. The fish dives back into the water, carrying Aang with it.

Katara watched an, an excited look on her face as she atched his current antics. All of them on the shore watched Aang as he rode the back of the elephant koi. Laughing, he waves at Katara who returns the favor. "Woo!" She yells.

"Yeeaaaah! Woohoo!" Aang laughs, ecstatic as he rides the giant koi fish. A couple of other fish follow behind, leaping in and out of the water.

All the giant koi fish dive underwater. "He looks pretty good out there."

"Yeah, it actually looks fun!" Chiyo beamed, "Way to go Aang!" She shouts as she waves, both her and Katara looking at her excited even though they weren't even riding the koi fish.

Sokka remains nonplussed and Fuuka still afraid, "Are you kidding? The fish is doing all the work." He says with a protective arm around Fuuka who buries her face in the boy's watertribe clothing. "Fuuka, if you want we can go sit down somewhere." He tries to help her as she shakes her head.

"Wow." Chiyo whistles, "Fuuka afraid of a fish? I thought I wouldn't see the day." She jokes with her arm folded as her friend cuts her a glare.

"Be quiet, Chiyo!" She mumbles as she clinged onto Sokka for dear life.

Her friend rolled her eyes, "Its not like the thing is going to reach the shore. Its all the way over there and look, Aang is still alive."

"No, Appa! Don't eat that!" Katara then says which makes Aang disappointed that she is no longer watch him.

"Aww, man…" He mumbles sadly as koi that he is riding, veers off to the right. A shadow under the water is visible and approaching the remaining elephant koi.

Sokka sees it and yells, "There's something in the water!" Fuuka opens one eye and looks and gasps at the huge shadow.

Katara, hearing the commotion, runs up beside Sokka back on the beach. "What's wrong?"

"Aang's in trouble." Sokka explains as he yells again, "Aang!"

Chiyo and Katara look at each other then back at Aang, "Get out of there!" Katara screams as Chiyo removes her bow from her back and slides an arrow against it and pulling the string back. She aims it towards the shadow and fires, Aang looks surprised and then notices the arrow going towards a direction not too far from him. When he sees it after turning slowly, his eyes widen and he screams in panic.

"Aaahhh!" screamed the boy as he leaps to the surface of the water and begins to run towards the shore. Chiyo arrow had hit the enormous fish, but it hadn't done much and continued to follow the avatar until he reached the shore, running heard first and full force into Sokka, who protected Fuuka, by making Aang hit his back and he lying ontop of the frightened girl.

Katara and Chiyo run to where they are at while Aang is putting his clothes on while Sokka is helping Fuuka up and making sure she is fine. Chiyo watched as the fin turns and slowly heads back out to sea until it isn't visible. "What was that thing?" Katara then asks.

"I don't know." Aang replies, still afraid.

Fuuka brushes the dirt off her clothes as Sokka wipes his hand together, "Well, let's not stick around and find out. Time to hit the road."

"I agree with Sokka." Fuuka nods her head, still afraid of the giant fishes.

Out of the blue, green clad warriors fall on all of them except Chiyo who doged just barely. Sokka was grabbed under his arms from behind, Katara had a hood over her head, the other warrior just grabbed Aang by the shirt and bound and blindfolded them. Chiyo had another arrow ready as they all slowly tried to approach her. "If you even touch me, I'll shoot each and every one of you." She says with her eyes narrowed and the sound of the bow stretching as she kept the arrow ready, but everything went back when one warrior had hit her in the back of her head.

* * *

Everyone was blindfolded, but they were very much awake. "You five have some explaining to do." It sounded like a man that was speaking.

"And if you don't answer all our questions, we're throwing you back in the water with the Unagi." said a girl's voice, her threat made Fuuka whimper.

Sokka, infuriated, now speaks. "Show yourselves, cowards!" All of the blindfolds were removed to reveal five, young girls dressed in green. Their faces are painted white with red around their eyes, and they carry fans in their waistbands. "Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?" Fuuka and Chiyo glared at him in the corner of their eyes. Will his sexism ever stop?

One female stepped forward and shook her fist at him, "There are no me. We ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?"

The boy laughed in disbelief. "Wait a second, there's no way a bunch of girls took us down."

The girl who spoke before grabs him by the collar and shakes him. "A bunch of girls, huh? The Unagi's gonna eat well tonight." She threatened.

Fuuka shook her head as Katara quickly tried to defend her brother. "No, don't hurt him! He didn't mean it. My brother is just an idiot sometimes."

Aang sighed as he then apologized. "Its my fault. I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

The old man pointed at the Avatar in a rather accusing manner, "How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies? Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far. And we intend to keep it that way!"

"This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!" Aang said both surprised and interested.

"Ha! How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries." The man said in a matter-of-fact tone.

The monk looks down toward the ground and then back at the old man, "I know her because I'm the Avatar."

Everyone, other than the gang, had a look of shock and disbelief. The female, who threatened Sokka, shook her fist at Aang. "That's impossible! The last avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago."

Aang grins widely. "That's me!"

"Throw the imposter to the unagi!" The man ordered before walking away as the female warriors took on a fighting stance. Each warrior has two open fans in her hands. The four warriors move menacingly toward the helpless trio.

Chiyo looks at Aang at her left. "Do something Aang!"

"Yeah Aang.." Katara said tersely, "… do some airbending."

On cue, Aang breaks his bonds and shoots himself into the air and backflips over the top of Kyoshi's statue. There was an amidst of 'oohs' and 'aahs' of the gathered crowd, which now includes other members of the village. The leader of the female warriors and her warriors gaze in shock and amazement at Aang."It's true… you are the Avatar!" The man said in surprise and happiness.

Aang, realizing that he now has an audience, pulls the marble out from under his shirt. "Now... check this out!"

Chiyo groans, "If he wasn't a cute kid, I'd hit him." She mumbles as Katara snickers.

"I wouldn't blame you. These bonds are killing me." Katara sighs as she hangs her head.

* * *

Since there was 100% proof that Aang was the Avatar, they were giving a little luxury. They were given a house to stay in and a table covered with plates and plates of different foods. A village had placed another plate on the table in which made Aang throw his arms up in the air happily. Chiyo, Katara, and Fuuka stared at the food for a while, unsure what they should eat first. "All right! Dessert for breakfast!" The twelve-year-old cheered as he then began stuffing his face and talking with his mouth full, "These people sure know how to treat an Avatar!"

Chiyo, Fuuka, and Katara also began eating. Chiyo eyes nearly watering up, "This is so delicious! What is this?!" She said out of excitement as Aang looked over to inspect it.

"It looks like Pau buns!" He said as he then took one and took a bite, his taste buds tingling with delight. "Ohhh, these are so good!" He then picks up a bun and then offers it to Katara. "Mmm…. Katara you've got to try these!"

"Well, maybe just a bite." Katara said as she takes the bun from Aang as Momo takes the chance and snatches another from his otherhand.

Fuuka on the other hand stopped eating and looked at Sokka. Before she could even ask, Aang had beat her to it. "Sokka, what's your problem? EAT!"

The boy was sitting hunched over in the corner of the room, sulking. "Not hungry."

Fuuka frowned at the boy's behavior as Aang peered around Katara's head, shocked. "But your always hungry!"

"He's just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday." His sister had caught on to his terrible mood.

"They snuck up on me!" He tried to clean it up.

Katara shrugged and spoke rather smugly. "Right. And then they kicked your butt."

Her brother got up angrily, "Sneak attacks don't count!" He paced around the room, gesticulating wildly to the air. "Tie me up with ropes! I'll show them a thing or two. I'm not scared of any girls." Sokka said as he paced around to the breakfast table and ferociously grabbing sweets off it. He lowers his voice, muttering to himself. "Who do they think they are anyway?" He grunts and shoves a candy into his mouth. "Mmm… this is tasty."

"Wow." Chiyo said as she poked some of her chicken , "That was quite a show."

"Yeah," Aang agreed, "but what's so angry about? It's great here. They're giving us the royal treatment."

Fuuka stood up, "I'm going to go after him before he gets himself in trouble." She explained as Katara looked up at her.

"Thanks, it saves me the trouble."

Fuuka had caught up with the watertribe boy and panting once she was next to him. He looked at her with a curious look, "What?"

"I know you are upset about the Kyoshi Warriors," She managed to say once she caught her breath. "But its nothing to be upset over."

"Of course it is! I'm a guy, I'm supposed to rescue girls, not get saved by them!" He pointed out, his sexism did grate her nerves, but she still tried to find her best interest at heart by cheering him up.

Fuuka gave him a small smile, "You rescued me and I'm grateful for it."

Sokka raised a brow, "When?"

"When I was afraid of the giant fish in the ocean. You shield me when Aang ran into us, you're not weak…" Her eyes widened and then she immediately looked down, now feeling embarrassed, "to me."

His eyes had softened, "Well… I do try my best." Said Sokka, now somewhat gloating.

The brown-eyed girl smiled, "Then why don't we go back and eat?"

"I still have some work to do." He continued to walk as he approached a house, in which Fuuka followed him. He opened a door and peered inside, the fan warriors were drilling. He grins, puts his hand up, and enters their dojo. Fuuka, nervous, follows behind him and looks around. "Sorry ladies! Didn't mean to interrupt your dance lessons." His voice is quite arrogant as he stretches his arms and waist. "I was looking for somewhere to get a little work out?" He bends over and grabs his knees with his hands.

"Sokka!" Fuuka said, now offended that this is what he came to do.

"Its all right." Said the head warrior as she gave Fuuka a smile before looking at Sokka, "You're in the right place." Sokka continues to stretch in front of the female warriors. "Sorry about yesterday. I didn't know that you were both friends with the Avatar." Her apology was sincere.

Fuuka nodded her head, "Its all righ-"

Sokka cut her off, "It's all right. I mean, normally I'd hold a grudge, but seeing as you guys are a bunch of girls, I'll make an exception." He said flippantly as he rotates his shoulders.

The airbender behind him gives him a dagger-like stare in which makes him twitch slightly. The head warrior speaks with much sarcasm, "I should hope so. A big strong man like you? We wouldn't stand a chance."

"True. But don't feel bad. After all, I'm the best warrior in my village." The boy lied as Fuuka slapped her palm against her forehead, unable to believe that he had taken his sexism to this extreme.

The girl leaned towards Sokka, smiling. "Wow! Best warrior, huh? In your whole village? Maybe you'd be kind enough to give us a little demonstration."

Too embarrassed for him, Fuuka slowly moved toward the exit. "I'm going go back to the house, okay?"

"Wait, why?" Sokka asked as he turned around and walked over to her. "You should watch me!"

Instead of telling him the truth of how she didn't want to see him embarrass himself, she looked at the brown-haired warrior and then back at him. "Well, I think I remember Katara and Chiyo saying they would need my help an-"

"But I protected you remember? I'm going to show them the moves that did it!" He hit his chest confidently in which made Fuuka fill a little guilty.

"But uh, you can tell me the story when you come back, okay? And I already remember how it went, so what's the point of me seeing it again, right?" A nervous smile was on her face as her friend frowned.

"All right. Becareful! If some guy messes with you, I'll show him what my fists can do." He grinned as she gave him a deadpanned expression.

"Yeah, you do that." She then waved at the other warriors, "See you then!"

And with that said, she left the dojo and dashed back to the house.

Meanwhile…

Chiyo and Katara were in the marketplace, filling baskets with vegetables and fruit. Aang walked over and tapped Katara on the shoulder. The waterbend turns around toward him, "Oh, good! Can you help us carry these back to the room? It's a little heavy."

"Actually, I can't right now." Aang replied.

Chiyo could see the anger evident on Katara's face. "What do you mean you can't?" She asked in a much irritated voice.

"I promised the girls that I'd give them a ride on Appa. Why don't you two come with us? It'll be fun!" He said as he looked at Chiyo, who was still looking at an angry Katara.

The girl picked up vegetables, "Watching you show off for a bunch of girls does not sound like fun, right Chiyo?"

"Uhh…." The Fire Nation girl hummed, not wanting to get in the middle of this but already feeling like she was. "Well, I don't know." She shrugged.

"Well, neither does carrying your basket." Aang shot back.

"Oh boy…" Chiyo mumbled

"It's not my basket. These supplies are for our trip. I told you, we have to leave Kyoshi soon." Katara explained, her voice growing hard as she became more and more annoyed.

" I don't want to leave Kyoshi yet. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something I really like about this place." The group of girls that had been following him around all day giggled after he said that.

One girl stomped her foot in annoyance and placed her hands on her hips, "What's taking you so long, Aangy?"

"Aangy…" Katara said flatly as Chiyo bursted into a fit of laughter.

The Avatar blushed since Chiyo's laugh made him feel embarrassed, "Just a second, Koko!"

"'Simple monk,' huh? I thought you promised me that this Avatar stuff wouldn't go to your head." Chiyo sighed, feeling uncomfortable and unsure what to do as the two went back and forth.

"It didn't. You know what I think? You don't want to come because you're jealous." Aang accused the waterbender.

"Jealous? Of what?" She asked, annoyed.

"Jealous that's were having so much fun without you."

Katara then placed more vegetables in her basket, "Katara, that basket is looking pretty full." Chiyo pointed out, but Katara was too pissed to realize it.

"That's ridiculous!" She said about Aang's comment.

Aang then replied, "It is ridiculous, but I understand."

"Katara, let's just go." Chiyo placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Katara nodded her head as she then groaned loudly, picks up her basket, and walks alongside Chiyo away from him. "He's a kid and he likes the attention. You have to realize him that he can't be mature all the time no matter how much you would want him to be. Besides, us girls mature faster and its hard for boys to keep up."

The waterbender sighed, "Your right, it's just annoying though."

"But don't let it show that you're angry by it. He's wrong about the way he went about it, so be REALLY nice and it will make him feel guilty." Chiyo nodded her head.

Katara couldn't help but laugh at Chiyo's enthusiasm, "I'll try it but I do have a bit of a temper…" She mumbled, surprisingly admitting such a thing.

"You didn't have to tell me. I saw it just a few minutes ago." She said as her friend slightly pouted, but the two ended up giggling over it. Chiyo didn't know what it was but she felt a friendship with Katara. She never had a female friend other than Fuuka and since Katara was much mature than her other friend, she felt like the two could form a bond.

When they reached the house that Oyagi, the man who ran Kyoshi Island, had let them stay in. They had saw Fuuka there in a fetal position in the corner, sulking. "Uhh…. Fuuka?" Katara managed to say as both she and Chiyo had placed the baskets full of food on the table.

"Hmm?" hummed the brown eyed girl which caused Chiyo to frown.

"What's wrong?" asked Chiyo as she sat near her, Katara doing the same.

"You look… sad." The waterbender placed her hand on the girl's arm, "Is there something bothering you?"

Fuuka shook her head and then turned around so her back was towards them. Chiyo tapped Katara on the shoulder and counted to three with her fingers. The watebender was confused but once one finger was up, Fuuka then began to cry. "I left Sokka in the Dojo with the Kyoshi Warriors! They're probably beating the crap out of him for being a sexist jerk, but I left him there when I should have stayed!" She then dived toward Chiyo's stomach, her friend patting her back while having a dumbfounded expression.

Katara just appeared flabbergasted, unsure of what to think or feel. "I'm sure whatever the Kyoshi Warriors do to him that he deserves it. Don't be upset." She patted the girl's back as well.

Fuuka sniffled and wiped her tears, "I shouldn't worry then?" She asked them both as they shook their heads simultaneously. "Okay."

Chiyo stood up, "I'm going to go practice with my arrows. I feel kind of weak without all of my weapons, but I do need to sharpen on my archery." She rotates her shoulder and picks up her bow and quivers.

"All right. Don't come back too late!" Fuuka said as Chiyo waved and left and as soon as she left, Aang appeared at the doorway as Katara practiced her waterbender in the room. A plume of water rises and falls from the bowl while Fuuka, pulled out a small knife and started carving on a piece of firewood.

"Katara, Fuuka. Remember how the unagi almost got me yesterday?" He asks them as Fuuka looks up at him.

Without looking up from the bowl, Katara anwers. "Yeah."

"What about it?" Fuuka asks, still afraid at the mention of the elephant koi.

"Well, I'm gonna go ride it now. It's gonna be REAL dangerous." He added as Fuuka gulped, thinking of all the ways that he fish were going to eat the young Avatar.

The waterbender still didn't look away from her bowl, "Good for you."

Fuuka looked back surprised that Katara didn't seem to care. She wasn't the only one surprised either, Aang's face had said it all. "You're not going to stop me?"

"Nope. Have fun." She said as she didn't look at him.

Aang crossed his arms peevishly. "I will."

"Great." Katara said.

"I know its great." Aang retorted.

"I'm glad you know."

"I'm glad you're glad."

"Good!"

"Fine!" And Aang storms out the room angrily.

Fuuka looked at Katara who keeps bending the water, but then stops and looks toward the door. "What's going on?" She finally asked.

"I don't know. Aang's been really annoying lately." She managed to say as she looked at the bowl of water. "I don't know why he keeps trying to get my attention. Its so bothersome! What more does he want me to do? He has that little group of girls following him everywhere he goes, so what does he want from me?"

Fuuka had known that the Avatar had feelings for Katara, it was quite obvious but she didn't need to be the one to tell her that. Aang had to realize it and tell her on his own time, "Don't be too hard on him, okay? He's just attached to you."

"I suppose your right. I guess I've been too hard on him." She sighed as she saw Fuuka carving something, "What are you making?"

"Something to remind Chiyo of home. Even though she hates the Fire Lord, I know she misses her family." Fuuka said as Katara frowned at the word family, Fuuka didn't catch it since she was still carving. "She has a little sister named Mai and they were really attached. You know, she saved her when they were young."

Katara then bothered to ask, "What about her mother and father?"

"She doesn't really care for them. She loves them, but she resents them for making her take up that job." said the airbender, "I don't really blame her, but she's lucky to have her parents. I sure do miss my mom."

"I see." She waterbended some of the water from the bowl, "What about your dad?"

"My dad died when I was just a kid. He was a soldier for the Fire Nation and died in the war." The waterbender frowned as Fuuka remained unfazed. "You should go check on Aang. I'm really afraid that Unagi will hurt him and I know you're worried."

Katara looked at her surprised but then saw the smile on the girl's face, "Your right. I'll be back!" She said as Fuuka nodded her head until the guy was out of view.

* * *

Chiyo had been practicing a good hour in. "I have missed so much training… Can I even call myself an assassin anymore?" She laughed at herself, but then found her eyes tearing up. But then she heard a bunch of footsteps in which made her pull the arrows out of her target tree, place them in the quiver, and hide in bushes.

"I want the Avatar alive." She managed to peep and see a bald-head with a ponytail of his remaining hair. Her eyes lit up, she knew who it was but why was he here on Kyoshi Island? _"You are hereby banished from the Fire Nation. You may only return with the Avatar." _Ozai's voice rung inside her head. Oh no, Aang was in trouble but did that mean she would have to fight Zuko? What was she going to do?

Sneaking away as quietly as she could, she climbed up one of the trees and jumped from branch to branch so that the Fire Nation soldiers couldn't spot her or see her. They were making their way toward the town and she had to make sure that Aang and the others were safe. That means if they would have to leave without her then so be it. She could hear the war rhinos not too far from her. _'I have to hurry!'_

When she finally reached the town, she scaled the walls of the houses and was on the roof. Zuko was already there and the main street was full of war rhinos. "Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" He then looked toward his men, "Find him." They began to search the town, the fan warrior came out to attack Zuko and his arm. Even though she very much not wanted to hurt him, she felt like she had no choice. Aang, Sokka, and Katara had allowed them into their family, how could she just up and turn like that? Not only that, Zuko is only fighting them so he can kidnapped Aang and go home… Once Ozai got his hands on him…

Next thing she knew, Zuko fell off his rhinoceros which caused Chiyo to gasp, but it almost mentally reminded her that she would have to do something and quick. She saw Aang on another roof and without a second thought, she called him. "Hey!" She yelled, the boy's eyes now meeting her own. Zuko looked at her with wide eyes as she stood there, her eyes very much smiling at him but her lips just a thin line. "Its been three years, hasn't it?"

Aang had looked rather confused, not sure what to make of it. "Chiyo?" He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice as he stared at her like she was a spirit. He so shocked and so confused just like she was.

"Its me… In the flesh!" She pressed her thumb to her chest, unsure of what would've been a cool thing to say. Deep down, all she really wanted was to hug him just to see if he was real.

Everyone had watched the transaction between the two as they behaved like they were the only ones there. Katara, who was not too far, looked at Fuuka. "How does she know Zuko?" She asked as the brown-eyed girl smile.

"Zuko was her best friend." She admitted in which caused the waterbender to gasp. Katara wasn't sure what to make out of this, she also questioned Chiyo's allegiance. Would she fight alongside her best friend? Or would she remain with her, Aang, and her brother. If Chiyo left, would Fuuka leave too?

One soldier had moved closer to the exiled Prince, "She's a Fire Nation enemy. We have to capture her."

"I don't care about that right now!" The boy hissed at him, annoyed by the man's intrusion. Afraid, the soldier immediately made his Rhinoceros move back in fear.

"I don't want to fight you Zuko." Her voice had taken a softer tone, her eyes halfway closing as she felt her heart pacing fast. "Please, don't try to take Aang."

Suki, Sokka, and the other Kyoshi warriors remained in a defensive stance ready incase Zuko decided to trudge on. They all saw the flicker of different emotions that came across his face, "You know why I'm doing this."

"And I know why you don't have to." A faint smile appeared on her face as she held out her hand towards him, "Why destroy the world? All for honor? For the acceptance of your father? If your father didn'-"

"Stop!" He yelled as he clenched his teeth, she flinched at the anger embedded in his voice. He never spoke to her like that, these three years must've been so rough on him. How could she expect for this to be over so easily? He didn't want to hear her badmouth his father, in which she could understand, but he inwardly knew it wasn't badmouthing… It was the truth.

Chiyo closed her hand into a fist, "Then I guess… This is it?" A tear had slowly slid down her face as Aang frown at their friendship which took a deteriorating turn.

Zuko had jumped off the rhino and scaled the building that Chiyo was on, they stood as if they were going to face each other. "Why are you risking our friendship for him?!" He managed to ask as he then looked to his soldiers. "What are you standing there for? Capture the Avatar!" He ordered them as they then began to move on, fireballs being sent every which way and the Kyoshi warriors fighting together.

All the girl could do was realize if she helped Aang then their friendship, that lasted nearly six years, would be burned at the seams. If she had helped Zuko, she would still be an enemy to the Fire Nation, imprisoned until Zuko became Fire Lord, and the world would be what Ozai had always wanted. Burned to ashes with him picking and plucking the piece he wanted to remain. Tears kept pouring from her eyes as she looked at him unsure of what to do with herself, but something in her had known what she had to do and so she ready her arrow on her bow and aimed at Zuko.

His eyes had widen in shock, "This how much your father is worth?" She asked before she fired the arrow and Zuko had sent a fireball and burned the arrow to a crisp. He soon let loose three consecutive fire balls from his hands in which barely, but swiftly were dodged by Chiyo. She leaped down and grabbed two golden fans as he follow after her and throws another fireball in which she cuts in half and spreads apart with both fans, but a kick was being sent her way in which she had flicked backwards and kicked his back half through the flip in which made him crash into one of the houses.

"Chiyo!" Aang called as she behind her to see everyone aboard the bison's saddle, she nodded her head and runs up his tail. "Appa, yip yip!" The bison grunted as they flew out of the town.

Fuuka looked at Chiyo as she placed her hands on her face, not knowing whether she wanted to cry or be angry. Katara, Aang, and Sokka looked at her feeling some sort of sympathy. "I'm sorry if I made you guys feel that I would betray you, but I'm not going to let him ruin the world." Chiyo managed to say, her eyes free from tears, but her heart felt heavy. "I… I couldn't bring myself to help him."

"You did the right thing, Chiyo." Katara said as she pulled Chiyo into a hug. "What you did was really hard and we're all proud of you." She smiled, Katara had sounded like Ursa. She wondered how the woman would've felt if she had known this? She wouldn't of wanted Zuko to kill the Avatar, right? Katara's embrace had felt warm and it brought Chiyo to tears yet again, the girl now crying on her shoulder as if she had lost something precious to her forecer.

Aang suddenly dives off of Appa's head and into the bay, a determined look on his face. Fuuka and Sokka watched wide eyed, "What are you doing, Aang?!" Sokka asked as Chiyo and Katara both watched in horror as the boy disappears under the ocean water.

"But what about the Unagi!" Fuuka yelled, her hands on her cheeks in pure horror.

Several seconds had passed as the Unagi bursts out of the water with Aang riding on it. He holds both whispers and forced the fish's head toward the burning tone of Kyoshi and pulls back on the whiskers, so that the fish could spew water over the town. He manages to put out all the fires that Zuko and his army had now created and even managed to drench the Prince and his soldiers.

Aang soon jumped into the air once Appa swoops down and catches him in his front paws and flies off. Once he climbed into Appa's sattle, everyone sat there waiting for him. He expected a lecture from the water bender, "I know, I know. That was stupid and dangerous."

"Yes, it was." Katara said but she hugs him in which everyone can see his face light up with joy and surprise.

"That thing was ugly." Fuuka destroyed the calm, happy-ending.

"You mean the Unagi?" Sokka asked as she shook her head, "That thing must really freak you out, huh?"

Aang grins mischeviously as he was out of the waterbender's embrace, "The Unagi sounded like it had like many people inside him. Maybe he jumps on the shore and eats people."

The brown-eyed girl screamed and then clung to Sokka, screaming as Katara nudges the boy's shoulder. "Don't tease her."

"I was just kidding! Don't be scared Fuuka." Sokka was patting the girls back as the girl shook of fear.

Chiyo grinned and leaned forward, "Unagiiiiiii!" She whispered into Fuuka's ear which made her yelp. Everyone had ended up laughing at the girl's intense fear for the fish and even of its name.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
Princess Serenity, I noticed that mistake and fixed it. She is indeed a couple of months older with him because I had struggled with that idea.

I hope this chapter was good and it will probably be the last one I post for a while since things are getting pretty busy for me.

Thanks for all those who reviewed, they are what inspire me!

R&R


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